


I Can't Reach You: The Who

by foolintherain



Category: Keith Moon - Fandom, Pete Townshend - Fandom, The Who (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:20:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 61,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25861201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foolintherain/pseuds/foolintherain
Summary: Pete Townshend/Keith Moon Fanfiction"I'm a million ages past youA million years behind you, tooA thousand miles up in the airA trillion times I've seen you there"
Relationships: Pete Townshend/OC Keith Moon/OC
Comments: 9





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a long day at the store for everyone working there that day. Every teenager in London wanted a taste of the new mod fashion. Unfortunately for Pamela, she just happened to work at one of the most popular stores in London at that time. Biba. 

As the minute hand of the large grandfather clock finally passed the twelve, she took no time grabbing her large gray coat from the hanger and swinging it over her shoulders. Before she could make it past the front counter, a warm hand grabbed her by the wrist.

She turned to see her best friend and flatmate, Cheryl standing right behind her. Her eyes were filled with desperation and her hands were shaking. Working for eight hours a day at one of the busiest stores in town was definitely taking a toll on her. 

"We're really swamped, Pam," she quickly said, looking around the whole store. She wasn't lying; there were dozens of girls looking through the racks of clothing, carrying large loads of items in their hands. "Can you please help just for a little bit longer?" 

Pamela groaned quietly and brushed some of her own dark brown hair out of her eyes. "But I'm just about to leave-"

"Please? Just ring up those customers and I'll take care of the rest." She pointed to a long line of customers waiting by the register, clutching their brand new accessories and clothes. 

She sighed and nodded, getting ready to put on her fake smile. "Alright, but only until the end of that line. Then you're on your own," she joked, patting her best friend on the back. 

"Thanks. And good luck," Cheryl said to her in a hushed tone. Pam laughed quietly and shook her head, making her way back to the register.

Normally seeing young teenagers buying their new clothes wasn't too much of a bad experience for her. Normally, it was a bit of an uplifting experience, being able to help some youngsters with their self-esteem. But after twelve or more hours of it, it was not quite the same. 

After helping the long line of annoying, rowdy girls, she sighed heavily and swung her coat back on, starting to the front door. Once again, Cheryl grabbed her by the wrist and Pamela groaned again. 

"What now?" she asked.

"Can you just take care of that guy?" Cheryl asked her desperately. "He's the only one left, I promise. I'll just be helping those girls over there find clothes that'll fit them."

Once again, Pamela sighed and made her way back to the register. Instead of the loud, excitable teenage girls waiting in line by the dozens, there was a tall, lanky man waiting patiently and quietly. Instead of carrying feather boas and floppy hats, he clutched clothes that were sensible and modest.

"Find everything OK?" Pam asked, not making eye contact as she bagged some of his clothes.

"Yeah, I think I did, thanks," he said quietly. He looked around the store awkwardly, as if to pass time. "You have fun here?"

She raised her head up to look in a his bright blue eyes, which she immediately found mesmerizing. "Yeah, most of the time. Its fun working with your best friend, but it definitely has its pros and cons."

He chuckled softly and nodded his head. "I can understand that. Sometimes working with your best friends can be a bit too much."

She nodded as she folded some of his clothes, making sure to keep them neat and tidy. "These are some interesting choices you have here," she remarked. 

"Really?" he asks, looking over them quickly. "Sometimes I don't think my 'fashion sense' is the greatest."

"No, I think it's great," she complimented, giving them back to him. "Normally some of our customers try to go all out. But I really like your taste; it's sensible."

He chuckled once again and smiled at her. "Thank you, I could say the same about yours," he compliments, making her look down at her simple outfit. For a brisk moment, they were both maintaining subtle eye contact, until Pamela looked down at the register.

"Um, £110, please," she said quietly. He nodded quickly and fumbled around his pockets, pulling out a wallet. He gave her the money, his soft hand briskly brushing against hers. "Thanks." She smiled quickly and went back to work. 

Before she could finish, his back was already turned to her and he was starting to the front door. "Wait-!" she said to him, making him quickly turn back to her. "You gave me a bit too much-" 

She quickly crossed back to him, holding out the change for him. She noticed that he was a lot taller than she realized before. He looked down, thinking to himself for a moment. Then he looked back up at her with a small smirk. "You know what? You can owe me."

Pamela chuckled dryly and looked at him with intrigue and curiosity. "Owe you?" she asked him. "What do you mean by that, exactly?" 

"You'll find out," he said to her, pushing through the large glass door and leaving Pamela alone, still processing what exactly just happened. She was noticeably in a much better mood than before, but why? It's not like she would ever see him again...


	2. Chapter 2

Pamela found herself in the same situation as she did days before. Just waiting for either her shift to end or something to happen remarkable to happen. Her back turned to register, she sighed as she scribbled prices on small tags. Just then, someone hit the small bell on the counter behind her, making a loud ding noise. 

She turned her head back to see the same man from yesterday. This time, he wasn't carrying any of his sensible, plain clothing. He was just leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. As she turned to him, he smiled softly, yet perfectly at her.

"Can I help you?" Pamela asked him with a quiet laugh. 

"Uh yeah, I think you owe me something remember?" the man asked, laughing to himself.

Pamela nodded. "That's right. Well, what do I owe you?" she asked him curiously. 

His thin lips turned upward into a small smile. "A date, maybe?" he asked, trying to sound as if the thought had just crossed his mind. 

Pamela stared at the stranger in shock and laughed again. "A date? I don't even know your name."

"Alright, my name is Pete. Is that good enough for you?" he asked with another dry laugh.

Pamela laughed again. "That would be, except you don't know my name either."

The man chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, then what's your name?"

"Pamela."

Pete smiled genuinely at her, making her smile back at him. "Nice name. Very nice name.. now is that good enough for you?"

Pamela bit her lip. Was there really any harm in going out with him? He seemed like a nice guy, and they seemed to really get along well yesterday. Obviously he liked her at least a little bit if he was already asking her out. "I guess that's good enough for me," she said with a smile. "Alright, I'll do it."

Pete smiled brightly at her. There was something about his smile that was so enchanting to her. He had a very nice smile, which was a lot more than she could say for a lot of the people in England. "I knew you'd come around," he said to her.

"Really? You already know me so well," Pamela teased him. 

"Guess I do," Pete said with another smile. There it was again, the lingering eye contact that made Pamela's heart beat so fast, she was worried he could hear it. Then, he spoke up again. "So where can I pick you up?"

"Oh," she said, fumbling around her pockets. She pulled out a small notebook and scribbled her address on it. She gave it back to him, their hands brushing against each others once more. A simple, cliche moment, but nonetheless, it made her heart start pounding once again. "I live there with my flatmate, Cheryl."

He looked down at the paper and smiled to himself before putting it in his coat pocket. "Thanks. I'll be there a bit late, since I have plans for the rest of the day. But I'll be there."

"What sort of plans?" Pamela asked him curiously. 

"Band practice," he said with a tiny smirk. "See you tonight." Once again, he pushed through the front door, leaving Pamela alone with her thoughts. She couldn't stop smiling to herself as she felt her cheeks grow more and more red each second. She replayed the past moment with him in her mind like a film. 

How could everything about him already be so perfect to her? His short dark hair, his deep blue eyes, his simple yet perfect smile, his quiet demeanor, his-

"Pam?!" 

Pamela jumped and saw Cheryl looking at her with her arms folded. "What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked her friend suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing," Pam answered innocently, getting back to work. 

"Uh huh," Cheryl said sarcastically. "You're blushing. You never ever blush. What is going on with you?"

Pamela looked back at her friend and smiled brightly. Cheryl furrowed her thin eyebrows as she looked a her. "Alright fine, I'll tell you," she said. She got closer to her and started whispering quietly. "Remember that man that was in here a few days ago?"

"Which one? The tall one with the large neb?" Cheryl asked with a laugh.

"Yes, that one. The cute one... Anyways, he asked me out today and I said yes."

Cheryl's eyes widened. "Are you joking? Pam, you don't know anything about him! He could be a psychopath-"

"He seems really nice. I talked to him quite a bit yesterday and I think we really clicked."

"What do you mean? He's not very talkative; he barely even talked to me when I was helping him."

Pamela's dark brown eyes widened. "Really? Wow.."

Cheryl shook her head. "That could mean something, but it could also not mean anything. I don't even know, I'm just trying to be the sensible one here. And I'm also trying to look out for you."

"Don't worry about me, Cheryl. I can take care of myself. Besides, there's nothing to worry about. He's a perfect guy."

Cheryl muttered something under her breath as she walked to the coats. Pamela sighed as she went back to scribbling various prices on the small white tags. "Do you even know his name?" Cheryl suddenly asked, raising her voice to reach her.

"Pete." Pamela answered, smiling to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Her heart was pounding as she waited by the door, biting her nails although her hands were shaking. She took deep breaths in and out, her breath quivering every time. She shivered slightly and rubbed both of her chilled arms; she was only wearing a sundress and a small cardigan. She leaned back in her seat and listened to the ticking of the clock in the hallway.

When was the last time she went on a date? She couldn't even remember. Cheryl came in through the front door, holding a cigarette. 

"What are you still doing here?" she asked, looking at her watch. "It's getting late."

"He said he has band practice," Pamela answered. Cheryl just nodded as she made her way to the kitchen. Once again, Pam's heart rate increased once again as she tapped her foot on the floor anxiously. 

What if she did or said something stupid? What if he never wanted to see her again after this? What if he did want to see her again after this? 

Then, there was a loud knock on the front door, making her heart drop. She jumped up from her seat on the sofa, racing towards the door. Before she opened it, she brushed some of her hair out of her eyes and checked her breath (just in case). She opened the door and saw Pete standing there. 

God, he looked so perfect. He was wearing a black turtleneck, a gray blazer with black plaid, and black dress pants. He smiled as he saw her open the door. "You look beautiful," he said to her. 

Her cheeks grew bright red and she smiled shyly. "You look really handsome." 

They just stood there for a moment, smiling at each other before Pete finally spoke up. "Right, we should get going. It's not getting any brighter out here." Pamela giggled as she closed the door and hugged his arm. He chuckled as he walked with her down the street and to the nearest bar. 

The air in the crowded bar was hot and humid, most likely because of the large crowd dancing freely. A band of four teenage boys with mop top hairstyles was playing loudly. Pete wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the front bar where they sat down, looking around at the crowd as they drank out of whiskey bottles.

"So Pete, you said you were in a band," Pamela told him loudly over the music. "What kind of band is it?"

"A mod rock band," he answered, just as loudly.

"That's fab," Pamela complimented, nodding her head. "You guys any good?"

"Uh, hell yeah, we are," he answered, as if it was obvious. Pamela laughed and rolled her eyes playfully. "No, I think we're pretty good. As long as you don't count the first disgrace of a single we released."

"Really? What song was that?" 

Pete cringed, obviously embarrassed. "Zoot Suit."

"Never heard of it."

"Exactly. Now what do you do for fun, besides sell those bohemian glad rags of yours?"

"Nothing, really. I dropped out of school a while ago."

"To sell clothes?" Pete asked her with a laugh. 

Once again, Pamela rolled her eyes playfully. "No. To raise money, I guess."

"Mm. I get that." 

They both took breaks to take sips from their bottles and looked out at the crowd. Pamela turned back to Pete and smiled at him. "Will you dance with me?" she asked him. 

He immediately shook his head, laughing. "No. No. I don't dance."

"Oh please?" Pamela begged him, tugging on his arm. "C'mon it'll be fun."

"No, seriously. I..no."

Pamela let go of his arm and went back to drinking. "You're no fun," she muttered.

"What was that?" Pete asked.

"Nothing."

"Yeah. I though so."

They both chuckled as they finished their drinks, leaving a payment and tips on the bar top. She hugged his arm again and they went back out into the cold. "Thank you," she said sweetly to him.

"You're welcome," he said, giving her another soft smile. She rested her head against shoulder as they walked down the cold streets. 

"Where to now?" Pam asked him. 

"I know a good place," he said with another signature smirk. She smiled again as she snuggled up against him, rubbing the soft fabric on his coat. It was so cold outside that they could both see their breath as they took deep breaths in and out. All she could think about was how she was so lucky to be out with someone as funny and charming as him.

Finally, he led her to an old and run down pier that led out from the shore to the water. It was cold and dark, except for being lit by the full moon and stars scattered around the sky. The moon shone like a spotlight on the long, rickety dock. Still, it couldn't have been more perfect. 

They both sat on the edge, taking off their shoes and dipping their feet in the water. Pamela moved her feet around to try to warm them up a bit, accidentally splashing water on his pants. He just laughed and kicked his feet around too, sending small waves above the shallow water. 

The two scooted closer together and wrapped their arms around each other's waists. She rested her head against his shoulder again, turning her head to look at him. He looked at her and smiled softly again. 

"What's on your mind right now?" she asked him curiously.

He sighed to himself, staring out at the water. "Growing up. I think I'm the only one in our generation that hates the idea of it."

Pamela nodded. "It's always scared me. I don't want to do it."

"Neither do I."

They both sighed heavily, getting closer together. Pamela finally got brave enough to wrap her other arm around his center, pulling him into a warm hug. Pete wrapped his other arm around her too, hugging her back tightly. 

"Will you dance with me?" he asked her quietly.

Pamela pulled away from him and tried to hide her blush. "Of course."

They both stood up, Pete wrapping her arms around her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. They stayed close together, their foreheads connected as they smiled at each other. They spun around slowly in circles as the moon shone on them like a direct spotlight.

The couple slowed down as they both leaned in, sharing a soft but passionate kiss. She threaded her fingers through his soft, dark hair as they slowly deepened the kiss. After a few moments, they pulled away and looked into each others eyes.

"Let's go home."


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Pamela woke up in Pete's strong arms, stuck in a warm embrace. Not that she was complaining; there was no place that she would rather be than with him. The only question she was asking herself was how was she already feeling these feelings? How were they stronger than any she had had for anyone in the past? 

She gently nuzzled her face in his neck, exhaling softly. He drew in a deep breath as he opened his eyes, looking down at her with a sleepy smile. She looked back up at him and smiled back. 

"Morning," she whispered. He gave her a long kiss on the forehead, pulling her even closer, if possible. "Were you drunk?" 

He chuckled softly and shook his head. "No. Were you?"

"Not at all." They both leaned in and shared a long, deep kiss on the lips. Pete moved his hand to run it through her long, caramel brown hair. She rested a hand on his cheek, pushing her lips closer to his. After a while, they pulled away for a breath of air. "What time is it?" 

He reached to his small nightstand to grab his wristwatch. "Mm..half past eight," he answered.

Her eyes widened as she quickly stood up, searching the room for her scattered clothing. "I have to go to work," she groaned, reluctantly getting dressed. 

"Me too," he sighed, doing the same. "Long day at the studio ahead of me."

She quickly went to his restroom and looked in the mirror, brushing her fingers through her hair and touching up her makeup. As she finished to see her final look, she cringed. "Damn it," she cursed, going back to the bedroom.

"What is it?" Pete asked, putting on a dark red tie.

"Look," she sighed, pointing to her own neck. He laughed out loud as he saw hickeys scattered across her pale skin. Pamela pouted as she found herself trying not to laugh. "It's not funny!"

"Its kind of funny," he said as he led her to his large wardrobe, scanning through all of his belongings. To both of their surprise, he found a scarf that matched her dress almost perfectly. He tied it across her neck softly, giving her plenty of room to breath. "There."

Pamela went back to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She tightened the scarf a little bit more, just in case. "Thank you," she said to him, kissing his cheek. "For everything. This was just perfect. You're just too good to be true."

He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into another deep kiss. She quickly smiled and kissed him back for a moment. Then, she quickly pulled away, making her way to the front door. "I hope to see you again," she called after him. 

"Me too!" he yelled back at her, smiling to himself. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Pamela quickly walked in through the back door of Biba, thanking heaven that she wasn't late. She made her way to the front of the store, where Cheryl was already waiting for her. As she locked eyes with her wide-eyed best friend, she froze. Cheryl looked at her in surprise and crossed her arms.

"Pamela! Where have you been?" she asked her. "You didn't come home last night. I thought that you had been kidnapped or worse."

"Oh no, I came home last night," Pamela lied, immediately getting to work. "You just didn't see or hear me. You must have been asleep."

"You know I'm a very light sleeper," Cheryl said, furrowing her eyebrows. "Besides, why are you wearing the same dress as you did last night?"

Pamela bit her lip and turned away. "I just really like this outfit," she muttered. 

"Mhm," Cheryl said skeptically, getting closer to Pam. "Then where did you get that scarf?" 

Pamela's cheeks grew red. She obviously knew. There was no point in lying anymore. "Fine! You caught me. We spent the night together," she sighed, trying in vain to hide her blush. 

"Oh, I know," Cheryl said with a hearty laugh. "You're my best friend and a terrible liar."

Pamela's cheeks grew as red as tomatoes as she looked away in shame. "Don't worry," Cheryl said to her, rubbing her back softly. "I'm not mad. I'm just-"

"Just what?" Pamela asked her, looking at her with curiosity. She didn't like the look on her face; she knew it too well. 

"I just.. don't you think you both are moving a little too fast?" Cheryl asked her, trying not to sound too condescending. "I mean, you guys don't really know anything about each other."

"That's why we went on a date," Pamela said in a low voice. "To get to know each other."

"Whatever you say," Cheryl shrugged, backing away and holding her hands up. "I'm just saying, maybe you should take things a little bit slower."

Pamela groaned and threw her head back. "Cheryl, that's literally the last thing I want to hear after coming back from the the best night of my life."


	5. Chapter 5

After work that day, Pamela was surprisingly able to find her way back to Pete's flat. Oddly enough, it wasn't too far away from Biba. Maybe that played a part in him going there to get his clothes? 

She knocked on the door, then immediately started pacing back and forth. Once again, it was cold and dark outside, so she started rubbing her arms, trying to keep warm. Her heart also began to pound, her anxiety setting in once again. Once the door swung open, she finally relaxed. 

"Hey," Pete said with his charming smile. God, why was he so perfect? 

"Hey," Pamela said awkwardly. "Can I come in?"

"Of course you can," Pete said as he opened the door a bit wider. Pamela stepped inside and looked around a bit, smiling. 

"I didn't get to tell you last night, but you have a really nice flat," she complimented him. 

Pete looked around the sitting room and shrugged. "Eh, it's alright," he muttered. "I think yours is nicer, though."

"Maybe we should spend the night at my place sometime," she suggested with a smirk, wrapping her arms around his neck. He smirked back as he wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning in for a kiss. Suddenly, Pam groaned and backed her head away. 

"What's going on?" Pete asked her curiously.

"We can't. My flatmate, Cheryl, remember her? Well, she's quite judgmental, all of a sudden." She rolled her eyes and sighed, leaning against the wall. 

"Hmm," Pete said, folding his arms. "She's not usually like this, then? What's got her so judgmental all of a sudden?"

Pam bit her lip nervously. How could she put this to him delicately? "Pete, do you think we're moving too fast?" she asked him quietly.

Pete laughed lightly. "No, not at all. Is that what Cheryl says?"

"Yes," Pamela answered sheepishly. 

"Fuck Cheryl, then," Pete said flatly. Pamela immediately started laughing, but Pete kept a completely straight face. "I'm serious! You're a big girl, you can take care of yourself." 

Pamela looked down and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. It's none of her business. It's just I've known Cheryl for a long time, she's always given me great advice on everything."

Pete went to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her waist. "Sometimes you need to take your own advice. Think about what you want, not about what your friends or family want. What do you want?"

Pamela looked up at him with a soft, innocent smile. "I want you." Pete smirked again as he wrapped both of his arms around her, pulling her into a deep kiss. She kissed him back, moving her hands to the back of his head to stroke his dark hair. Before they got too carried away, Pam pulled away, giggling. "Pete, when do I get to meet your bandmates?"

"When do you want to?" Pete asked her.

"As soon as I can," Pamela answered.

"Come to the studio tomorrow," Pete suggested, his face lighting up. "We'll be there all day. Come see us anytime."

Pamela nodded with a bright smile. "Sounds great to me."

They both just gazed into each other's eyes for a while, unable to think of what to say next. They both held each other's hands as Pete sat down on a sofa, pulling Pam onto his lap. They wrapped their arms around each other, unable to stop smiling at each other. Pete leaned in again and gave her a beautiful kiss on the lips. She kissed him back, moving a hand down to caress his neck, then delicately touching the skin beneath the collar of his shirt.

They pulled away after a few minutes, giggling and connecting their foreheads together. 

"I like you a lot," Pete told her, making her heart beat faster than ever. 

Her cheeks grew red and she bit her lip again. "I like you a lot too." Before he could see her blush again, she pulled him in for another long, passionate kiss. At that moment, everything was perfect. It was just the two of them, being together without a care in the world. Without anyone there to judge them, everything was perfect. 

After a while, they pulled away again, quickly catching their breath. "Can you play me a song?" she asked him sweetly. 

"Of course," he laughed, getting up and grabbing his guitar. He sat down next to her and tuned it up a bit before strumming some chords. "Any requests?"

"Zoot Suit?"

"Get out."

"Kidding! Can you play some Beach Boys?" 

"Of course." He nodded and started playing I Get Around. While he played, he told her, "If you like the Beach Boys, you'd get along pretty well with Moonie."

"Who's Moonie?" 

"Our drummer, Keith Moon. He joined back in April. He's a bit insane, but he's really talented." 

Pamela chuckled and nodded, starting to listen to him again. "I can't wait to meet him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // Hmmmm..... 👀


	6. Chapter 6

After work the next day, Pamela followed the directions on a small card that Pete had given to her to the studio. As she walked in, she saw a front desk scattered with files, papers, and a telephone. No one was sitting behind it, so she snuck down the hall to look for the recording room. After searching for a while, she found the right room and knocked on the door. 

"COME IN!" a loud voice yelled from inside the room. 

She opened the door and saw Pete, along with three other men in the room. They all immediately looked up at her, almost in surprise. Pete just laughed and shook his head at them.

"What's the matter, have you twats never seen a girl before?" he asked, walking over to Pam and kissing her forehead.

"No, she's just a lot prettier than you described," one with dark brown hair swooped to the side and thick eyebrows remarked. 

"Shh, there's nothing wrong with the way Pete described her," the only blonde in the band sassed.

Pam just laughed and ignored them, smiling at Pete. "How's your day been?" she asked him.

"Terrible," Pete answered flatly. "I'm glad you're here though." He brought her closer to the rest of the guys, wrapping an almost protective arm around her waist. As he introduced them, he pointed to each respective bandmate. "Roger, John, and Keith, meet Pamela, my...er..." 

"Girlfriend?" Pamela timidly finished for him. 

Pete nodded. "Yeah, girlfriend!" he laughed awkwardly. Pam rubbed the back of her head and chuckled awkwardly. "Anyways, this is the band."

The one with thick eyebrows, Keith, stood up and pulled Pam in for a tight hug. Then he gave her a hard, warm kiss on the cheek. Pam's cheeks grew red and she started laughing. 

"Keith!" John scolded, slapping his hand against his own forehead. He had dark black hair that looked a bit like Keith and Pete's but was shorter. He had a much more mature look than the rest of the band. He pulled Keith back down on his seat like a mother pulling her toddler away.

Keith pouted playfully and crossed his arms. "What? That's how I greet people," he whined.

Pam laughed lightly. "It's alright, John," she said, giving Keith a friendly kiss on the forehead. Before she got a reaction out of him, she went to the blonde, Roger. "Nice to meet you," she told him, shaking his hand. 

"Nice to meet you too," Roger said with a smile. "I'm really glad Pete found you, we were all starting to lose hope for him." Everyone erupted in laughter except for Pete and Pam, who just blushed. 

"Shut up, you wanker," Pete snapped as he rolled his eyes. Pam wrapped a comforting arm around him as he sat down next to her. 

"So, tell me more about you guys," Pam said, desperately trying to change the subject. "What do you guys do? Who's the singer?" 

"I'm the drummer," Keith pitched in, smiling like an idiot. John sighed and rolled his eyes once again. Pam was starting to think that was a common occurrence for him. 

"I'm the bass player," John stated quietly.

"I'm the lead singer," Roger said to her. "And our Pete here is our lovely lead guitarist."

There were ooo's and aww's coming from both Keith and John, making Pete shake his head. Keith even caught Pam's eyes and winked playfully at her. "You all are idiots," Pete muttered. 

"Aw, but you love us," Keith said sweetly. 

"Not today," Pete said, standing up. Pam stood up as well and held his hand. "I'm done with you all. Good night."

Keith and Roger both started whining as Pete and Pam started for the door. Without looking back, Pete flipped them all off, which made them burst out into laughter once again. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Pete sighed as he opened the door of his flat for Pam, leading her inside. He sat down on the sofa again, reaching for her. She smiled to herself as she sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pecked her lips and she rested her head on his shoulder. They both stayed there in silent for a moment, just enjoying each other's company. 

Then, Pamela spoke up. "Pete?" 

"Hmm?"

"Are we gonna talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"You know. Us."

Pete looked down at her, visibly confused. "What is there to talk about? We like each other a lot."

"I mean, yeah, but what are we? Are we just-"

"Well, do you want to-"

"Yeah, I do! I mean-" she blushed profusely as Pete laughed softly. "I meant I want to if you want to."

"I really do want to, only if you want to, though." 

Pamela looked in his eyes and nodded quickly. "Great!"

"Great!" Pete exclaimed, looking back in her eyes and repeating her actions. After a few tense minutes, they both leaned in and kissed each other passionately. They kissed until their lips were sore, holding each other close. They both pulled away, smirking at each other.

"Spend the night here?" Pete asked her, moving to kiss her neck softly. "Please?"

She bit her lip to hold back a sigh as she stroked some of his hair. "Tempted, but Cheryl will get suspicious." 

He sighed against her skin, muttering, "You're supposed to be making your own decisions, remember?" He bit down on her skin, leaving more red marks across her pale skin. Trying her best not to moan, she nodded.

"Alright," she answered, pulling away from him with a smirk.


	7. Chapter 7

Summer 1965

Pamela was starting to spend a lot more nights at Pete's house, which was really starting to annoy Cheryl. For one thing, it always made her late to work, which was strange because Pete's flat was so close to the store. For another, Pamela was spending less and less time with her, aka her best friend. Finally, Pamela didn't realize how immature she was being.

How could Pamela be so courageous yet immature to be just jumping into a relationship like that? Didn't she at least know the basic rules of dating? Pamela had always been like a little sister to her, and she really didn't want to lose her.

So yes, maybe she was a little bit jealous of their relationship. It wasn't fair that Pamela got the cute, perfect guy while Cheryl spent most of her nights alone. Not only was she always there for Pam, but Pam was always there for her too. What if things got a little bit too serious with them? What would she do then? Who would she have to talk to? No one.

On the other hand, Pamela was growing up. She was her own woman, and she had to make decisions for herself. Cheryl understood that, but she still wanted her to be a part of her life. And she felt like she couldn't do that if she had a really serious boyfriend.

"Excuse me?!" an elderly lady from behind the counter asked, making Cheryl snap her head up. The old lady rolled her eyes as Cheryl went back to helping her with her purchase. "You kids today will be the death of me."

"Tell me about it," Cheryl muttered bitterly, earning a confused look from the grumpy woman.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Pete and Pamela were snogging on the sofa, a regular evening occurrence for them. Suddenly, Pete muttered against her lips, "Move in with me."

Pamela pulled away from him, her eyes wide with shock. He just looked back at her, completely serious. She didn't know what to say, whether to laugh or to cry, or just run away. "Well?" he asked her with a laugh.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, before he could say anything else. "Yes, I will!" She grabbed both of his cheeks and placed her lips firmly on his, kissing him hard. He immediately kissed her back, brushing his hands along the hem of her short skirt. Then, the door swung open.

"God, is that all the two of you do anymore?" John asked as he walked into the flat, shaking his head. He along with Keith and Roger made themselves at home, sitting on the other sofas and chairs. Keith and Roger just smirked at the couple, even whispering things to each other.

"Nice to see you too," Pete said sarcastically. "What are you doing here? Practice is over. You can go home now."

The bandmates all looked at each other in disbelief. "Wow," Roger said, shaking his head. "You'd think you'd be happy to see your own bandmates."

"Well, I'm not," Pete snapped. "We were having a bit of a conversation before you barged in like you own the place."

Keith and John both exchanged looks, then started giggling like little kids. "It sure didn't look like you two were doing much talking," Keith remarked with a wink. Pamela blushed and hid her face in Pete's shoulder.

"No, we actually were, thank you very much," Pete sighed.

"So, what's going on, then?" Keith asked inquisitively.

"Yeah, Pete, what's going on?" Roger asked curiously, leaning in closer to the couple, along with John and Keith. "Don't you want to tell your best friends what's going on in your life?"

"Exactly! Pam, what about you? You'll tell your best friends, won't you?" Keith asked, winking at her again.

Pam just sighed and shook her head at all of them. "I don't think-"

"WAIT, let me guess," Keith interrupted. He thought long and hard for a moment, making Pete and Pam blush even more. However, Pam was smiling a lot more than Pete was. "You guys are moving in together?"

Both of their eyes grew wide and their jaws nearly dropped to the floor. Keith clapped his hands as the whole band started laughing. "Wow, I can't believe I-"

"Who wants cake?" Pete interrupted, shooting up from his seat. John and Roger both jumped up from their seats, following him to the kitchen. Pamela and Keith stayed behind in awkward silence, standing up slowly.

Pam was about to go back to Pete in the kitchen when Keith called after her, "Pam?" She turned her head back to see him with a much more calm demeanor than usual. He got closer to her and smiled innocently.

"Yes?" she asked him, smiling back at him.

"Congratulations, I'm happy for you," he said, pulling her into another one of his tight hugs.

She smiled as she gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, that means a lot to me."

"Of course. Just try not to get too annoyed with him," he replied, making Pam laugh. "And make sure he doesn't go to bed too late; he get's cranky."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Pam replied, breaking the hug and looking in his eyes. "Are you going to come get some cake with the rest of us?"

Keith stared at her, frozen for a moment before snapping out of it and responding. "No, no, I'm good. I need to get going, anyways, I have a...something."

Pam laughed again and nodded. "Alright good luck with your..thing. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Alright." He gave her one last smile before practically sprinting out the door. Once he was safe in his car, he promptly burst into tears as he drove home alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor Moonie ;-;


	8. Chapter 8

"That should be the last of it," Pamela sighed, tossing her last bag towards the front door. She and Cheryl had spent the whole day packing up her belongings so she could move out. Cheryl was bitterly quiet the entire time and hardly said two words to her. Pamela just sighed and ignored her every time, going back to packing.

They both stood awkwardly by the front door, waiting for the other person to say something. Then, Cheryl turned around and started sniffing quietly. "Cheryl, are you crying?" Pam asked, laughing slightly. She went to her and saw that her eyes were red and puffy as the tears came falling down. "Oh my god, you're crying. I'm so sorry."

She pulled her into a large hug, rubbing her back softly. Cheryl got mascara and tears all over her sleeve. "What am I going to do without you?" she asked Pam, sniffing again.

"Oh come on, I'm not leaving you forever," Pamela reassured her. "I'm just moving a little bit more into town. I'm going to call you so much that you're going to get so sick of me. And we'll see each other all the time at the store."

"Can I come visit you at Pete's, too?" Cheryl asked.

Pamela hesitated before answering; she knew that Cheryl and Pete both had mixed feelings about each other. She didn't want to start any drama between the two of them, but she also didn't want to make Cheryl sadder than she already was. "Yes."

"Thank you," Cheryl said, hugging her one last time. She pulled away and wiped her tears, chuckling quietly. "Phew! Sorry about that, I'm not usually this..emotional?" 

"You're telling me. I'm just as surprised as you are," Pamela laughed. "I'm really going to miss you. But like I said, it's not like I'm moving to America or something. We'll still see each other all the time."

"You're right," Cheryl nodded. "Well, you should get going. Can't keep him waiting."

"Right." Pamela grabbed her bags and gave Cheryl one last smile before walking out the door. "Bye."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Once Pam had finally finished settling in, Pete took her (along with the rest of the band, for some reason) out for ice cream. They all sat in a corner booth, laughing and talking amongst themselves as they ate their ice cream. Pamela was already starting to get closer with the rest of the band, which she thought was great.

"This is boring," Keith complained after a while. "Can we pull a prank on some of the workers here?"

"Keith no," Roger scolded. "Look at this place, they're already depressed enough working in this dump."

"Ouch," Pamela laughed. She leaned her head on Pete's shoulder, letting out a quiet sigh. He kissed the top of her forehead before pulling out a cigarette.

Keith looked away for a second before announcing to everyone, "I've started seeing someone, too."

John smiled brightly and slapped his back. Keith playfully pushed his hand away. "That's great, man! Who's the lucky girl?"

"Kim," he answered proudly.

"Where and when did you meet this Kim?" Roger asked curiously.

"At the beginning of the year, after one of our shows."

"So you've had a girlfriend for this long and you didn't even tell us?" Pete asked in disbelief, shaking his head. "Wow. The nerve."

"I didn't consider her a girlfriend at the time," Keith muttered.

"Well I, for one, can't wait to meet her," Pamela said, reaching across the table to hold Keith's hand. "I'm happy for you, she's a really lucky girl."

Keith was lost in a trance for a moment, looking down at her hand. After a moment, his cheeks grew red and he pulled his hand away. "Uh...thanks, I think so too," he said confidently. "I mean..thanks, that's kind of you."

Everything got awkwardly silent for a moment as they started going back to eating their ice cream again. Keith tried his best to avoid Pamela's gaze, but sometimes that didn't work out too well for him.

He pushed Roger and John away, scooting off the bench. "I should get going; Kim said she wanted to spend some time together tonight," he lied.

"Oh, well, we're glad you came," Pamela told him with a smile.

"Are you going to leave us to pay for your ice cream, or.." Pete started.

"Yes," Keith answered flatly, walking out the door. Roger, Pamela and John all bursted out into laughter as Pete shook his head.

"That wanker," Pete muttered.

"Oh, lay off of him a little bit," Pamela teased, hugging his arm. "I just hope he isn't too drunk to drive."

Everyone at the table looked around at each other nervously. "He'll be fine," Pete reassured. Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement, even if they weren't so sure.

"Pam, we should get going too," Pete said, standing up from his seat. She nodded and stood up too, and they both threw their contributions of money on the table. "See you later, assholes."

"Bye, dumbass," John and Roger said to him at the same time. "And bye Pamela!"

Pam wrapped an arm around Pete's waist as they walked out the door together. "What do you think is going on with Keith?" she asked him.

Pete shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows anymore? He's not usually like this, though. That's why it's strange."

"Hmm." They continued walking the rest of the way home in silence. Once they were inside, they threw off their coats and plumped down on the couch. They sat in silence once again for a while. She shifted around on the couch so she was laying down and rested her head on his lap.

He started stroking her hair softly as she closed her eyes. "Thanks for moving in with me," he told her.

"Thanks for asking me," she replied with a smile. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave his clothed stomach a kiss.

"I'm going to be at the studio a lot more often for the next few weeks," he told her with a sigh. "We're working on another single, it should be out in a few months."

"Really?" she asked, looking up at him with bright eyes. "What's it going to be called? Can I hear it?"

Pete laughed. "You can hear it once its released. It's a surprise."

"Fine," Pam said as she pouted playfully. She sat up and pecked his lips. "I can't wait to hear it."


	9. Chapter 9

"That should be the last of it," Pamela sighed, tossing her last bag towards the front door. She and Cheryl had spent the whole day packing up her belongings so she could move out. Cheryl was bitterly quiet the entire time and hardly said two words to her. Pamela just sighed and ignored her every time, going back to packing.

They both stood awkwardly by the front door, waiting for the other person to say something. Then, Cheryl turned around and started sniffing quietly. "Cheryl, are you crying?" Pam asked, laughing slightly. She went to her and saw that her eyes were red and puffy as the tears came falling down. "Oh my god, you're crying. I'm so sorry."

She pulled her into a large hug, rubbing her back softly. Cheryl got mascara and tears all over her sleeve. "What am I going to do without you?" she asked Pam, sniffing again.

"Oh come on, I'm not leaving you forever," Pamela reassured her. "I'm just moving a little bit more into town. I'm going to call you so much that you're going to get so sick of me. And we'll see each other all the time at the store."

"Can I come visit you at Pete's, too?" Cheryl asked.

Pamela hesitated before answering; she knew that Cheryl and Pete both had mixed feelings about each other. She didn't want to start any drama between the two of them, but she also didn't want to make Cheryl sadder than she already was. "Yes."

"Thank you," Cheryl said, hugging her one last time. She pulled away and wiped her tears, chuckling quietly. "Phew! Sorry about that, I'm not usually this..emotional?" 

"You're telling me. I'm just as surprised as you are," Pamela laughed. "I'm really going to miss you. But like I said, it's not like I'm moving to America or something. We'll still see each other all the time."

"You're right," Cheryl nodded. "Well, you should get going. Can't keep him waiting."

"Right." Pamela grabbed her bags and gave Cheryl one last smile before walking out the door. "Bye."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Once Pam had finally finished settling in, Pete took her (along with the rest of the band, for some reason) out for ice cream. They all sat in a corner booth, laughing and talking amongst themselves as they ate their ice cream. Pamela was already starting to get closer with the rest of the band, which she thought was great.

"This is boring," Keith complained after a while. "Can we pull a prank on some of the workers here?"

"Keith no," Roger scolded. "Look at this place, they're already depressed enough working in this dump."

"Ouch," Pamela laughed. She leaned her head on Pete's shoulder, letting out a quiet sigh. He kissed the top of her forehead before pulling out a cigarette.

Keith looked away for a second before announcing to everyone, "I've started seeing someone, too."

John smiled brightly and slapped his back. Keith playfully pushed his hand away. "That's great, man! Who's the lucky girl?"

"Kim," he answered proudly.

"Where and when did you meet this Kim?" Roger asked curiously.

"At the beginning of the year, after one of our shows."

"So you've had a girlfriend for this long and you didn't even tell us?" Pete asked in disbelief, shaking his head. "Wow. The nerve."

"I didn't consider her a girlfriend at the time," Keith muttered.

"Well I, for one, can't wait to meet her," Pamela said, reaching across the table to hold Keith's hand. "I'm happy for you, she's a really lucky girl."

Keith was lost in a trance for a moment, looking down at her hand. After a moment, his cheeks grew red and he pulled his hand away. "Uh...thanks, I think so too," he said confidently. "I mean..thanks, that's kind of you."

Everything got awkwardly silent for a moment as they started going back to eating their ice cream again. Keith tried his best to avoid Pamela's gaze, but sometimes that didn't work out too well for him.

He pushed Roger and John away, scooting off the bench. "I should get going; Kim said she wanted to spend some time together tonight," he lied.

"Oh, well, we're glad you came," Pamela told him with a smile.

"Are you going to leave us to pay for your ice cream, or.." Pete started.

"Yes," Keith answered flatly, walking out the door. Roger, Pamela and John all bursted out into laughter as Pete shook his head.

"That wanker," Pete muttered.

"Oh, lay off of him a little bit," Pamela teased, hugging his arm. "I just hope he isn't too drunk to drive."

Everyone at the table looked around at each other nervously. "He'll be fine," Pete reassured. Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement, even if they weren't so sure.

"Pam, we should get going too," Pete said, standing up from his seat. She nodded and stood up too, and they both threw their contributions of money on the table. "See you later, assholes."

"Bye, dumbass," John and Roger said to him at the same time. "And bye Pamela!"

Pam wrapped an arm around Pete's waist as they walked out the door together. "What do you think is going on with Keith?" she asked him.

Pete shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows anymore? He's not usually like this, though. That's why it's strange."

"Hmm." They continued walking the rest of the way home in silence. Once they were inside, they threw off their coats and plumped down on the couch. They sat in silence once again for a while. She shifted around on the couch so she was laying down and rested her head on his lap.

He started stroking her hair softly as she closed her eyes. "Thanks for moving in with me," he told her.

"Thanks for asking me," she replied with a smile. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave his clothed stomach a kiss.

"I'm going to be at the studio a lot more often for the next few weeks," he told her with a sigh. "We're working on another single, it should be out in a few months."

"Really?" she asked, looking up at him with bright eyes. "What's it going to be called? Can I hear it?"

Pete laughed. "You can hear it once its released. It's a surprise."

"Fine," Pam said as she pouted playfully. She sat up and pecked his lips. "I can't wait to hear it."


	10. Chapter 10

Once they got to the park, Keith wasted no time going to the swings. Pamela laughed and followed him, sitting on the swing next to him. By the time she was just getting situated, Keith was already swinging twice as high as her. She laughed as she did her best to catch up to him, which actually took a while. 

After a while, they both slowed down and got back to swinging closer to the ground. They both shifted around in their swings to face each other straightforward. Keith giggled as he swung towards her, going back and forth. She giggled as she watched. 

"Can we try something?" Pamela asked him.

"What?" Keith asked mischievously. 

She shifted around again in her swing, going back to facing the normal way. He did the same and she quickly grabbed onto the chains of Keith's swing, bringing them closer together. "Me and my friends used to do this all the time when we were kids," she explained as she scooted back to grab the back pole, still holding onto Keith's swing. 

"No way, I did, too!" Keith exclaimed. 

"Really? That's crazy, I thought it was just me," she said in disbelief. Without realizing, she accidentally let go of the pole, sending them both swinging all around the set. Pamela screamed as she held onto Keith's swing for dear life. He just laughed as he held onto hers, too, making sure not to let her fall. 

Finally, they both settled down in the middle of the set. They were both panting from laughing so hard, and Pamela brushed some of her loose hair out of her face. "I could do that again," Keith laughed, pulling them both back to the back pole on his side, that time. 

He made sure that Pamela was holding onto his swing securely, and held onto hers tight as well. "Ready?" he asked her. She nodded and held onto his swing tighter. He let go of the pole, once again sending them around the whole set. They laughed and swung around on until their heads started to hurt.

They settled down again, sitting on their swings in the middle of the set. They both let go of each other's swings, letting them both swing freely but calmer than last time. Once again, they shifted around so they were facing each other, straddling their seats. Every once in a while, they would swing towards each other and then back to their spot.

"Tell me about yourself," Pamela told him, still struggling to catch her breath. "Where'd you go to school? Where'd you learn to play the drums?" 

Keith chuckled dryly before taking deep breaths in and out. "Well, when I was just a kid, I would go to Macari's Music Studio on Ealing Road to practice drums. I left school, got a job, and was able to pay for some lessons from Carlo Little."

"That's really cool; I wish I could play the drums as well as you," Pamela complimented him. "Have you always enjoyed pulling pranks on people?"

"Yes," Keith answered without skipping a beat. "I also had a lot of those science kits as a kid, I loved just setting off explosions."

Pamela chuckled, finally able to catch her breath. "That makes a lot of sense," she said.

"Yeah, it does," he said with a nod. "Now tell me more about you. Pete tells me you sell lots of clothes?"

"Yes, I work at a clothing store. But I don't really like it; I'd rather be doing something much more valuable with my time."

"Oh? Like what?"

"When I was still going to school, I was studying science. I wanted to be either a biochemist or a forensic scientist."

Keith looked at her in shock. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" Pamela laughed. "Why is that so surprising, is it because I'm a girl?"

"No, not at all. I just..you're really pretty, for someone that wants to go into science, that is."

Pamela smiled genuinely at him. "Thank you. Really."

"Of course. So why did you decide to drop out of school?"

"I don't have enough money," she explained with a sigh. She kicked around at the small slivers of bark on the ground beneath her. "My parents were very clear that they don't want to give me any money, so I'm supposed to earn it all myself."

"Ouch, I'm sorry about that. If you need any help, I've got a ton of money."

Pamela chuckled. "Are you serious?"

"No," he replied with a laugh. Pamela laughed as well and kicked some of the bark at him playfully. "But seriously, if you need any help with that, just let me know."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said with a smile. They both started swinging around in silence for a while, keeping close to the ground. Finally, Pamela spoke up. "Do you like climbing trees? I'm getting bored just swinging around."

"Of course I do," he jumped up from his swing, taking her by the hand and running with her to the nearest tree. He climbed up to one of the highest branches effortlessly, leaving Pamela on the ground, watching him in shock. He sat down and straddled the branch, leaning back against the trunk and relaxing. "Come on, its great up here!"

"How did you bloody do that?" she asked him, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Come on, it's easy," he said with a laugh. "Just do what I did, but slower. And don't break your neck." 

She bit her lip nervously as she started climbing up to where he was, going a lot slower than he did before. Keith waited patiently, although he started humming a song loudly, obviously to pass the time. "Shut up!" she laughed.

Finally, she made it up to his branch and sat in front of him. Once she was comfortable, however, her mild anxiety set in and she held onto both of his hands. "It's alright," he said calmly, giving her an innocent smile. "Just don't look down and you'll be fine." 

She nodded and just kept looking at him, taking quick breaths in and out. After a moment, she was finally able to relax, although she refused to let go of his hands. "Keith? How's it going with Kim?" 

He shrugged. "I think it's going alright," he sighed. "She's not really like you, though."

Pam furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean...she doesn't really like doing this sort of stuff with me," he quickly explained. "Don't get me wrong, I still really like her, it's just different."

"I see. Have you...really been together for a year? And you didn't tell any of us?"

"Yeah..." he answered sheepishly. 

"Why didn't you tell any of us?"

Keith sighed and looked away for a moment, processing an answer. "They still kind of see me as just a kid. I just didn't want them teasing me about getting into anything too serious at my age." 

She nodded. "I get that. That's why I didn't want to tell my best friend about Pete, at first. Love her to death, but she's kind of a know-it-all."

"Ew," Keith said, scrunching up his nose, making Pam laugh. "How's it going with you and Pete, by the way?"

"Really good, I think," she said with a smile. "I like him a lot."

"That's good," he replied, giving her a small smile. "I'm really happy for you." As much as he wanted those words to be true, he couldn't control what he was feeling..


	11. Chapter 11

After Keith dropped her off at home, Pamela walked into the flat to see Pete sitting alone on the sofa, strumming his guitar. He looked up at her and nodded briskly before going back to concentrating on his work. She sat next to him, listening to him playing without saying a word. 

She leaned back on the couch, watching him strum and pick all the chords while sitting in silence. Sometimes, they both had moments like these where neither of them would say a word. Not that Pamela minded so much; sometimes it was nice to sit in silence, other times it was kind of awkward.

After a while, he finished playing and put his guitar back on his stand. He sat back down and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a soft, warm hug. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. He leaned back on the sofa and pulled her onto his lap, relaxing against the arm. 

"How was it today?" she asked him, resting her head on his chest. "I see you guys didn't burn the house down."

He stroked some of her hair, brushing it out of her eyes. "It was alright," he answered simply.

"Just alright?" she asked him. 

"Yeah," he replied quickly. 

She sighed as she looked down at the ground, unsure of what to say next. "Are you guys on better terms now?" was all she could think of.

"Yeah I think we are," he answered quietly. 

She nodded and looked back up at him. He was staring off into space, almost as if he was deep in thought. She pulled away from him and sat up in her spot, almost inspecting the look on his face. Something was a bit off; he usually wasn't too talkative, but he was never this quiet. 

"Is something wrong?" she asked him.

He snapped out of his extensive gaze and looked back at her, making direct eye contact. "No, why would it be?" he asked her curiously.

"I don't know, you're just acting kind of weird," she answered as nicely as she could. 

He furrowed his eyebrows, sitting up in his place, as well. "What are you talking about?" 

She groaned quietly and looked away from him. "Never mind," she sighed, starting to get up from the couch. Before she could, he gently grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her. 

"Have I ever lied to you before?" he asked her calmly. She thought for a moment, realizing that he had, in fact, never lied to her before. She shook her head slowly, making herself a bit more relaxed on the sofa. However, there was something a bit off in the tone of his voice. 

"Why would you ask me that?" she asked him, trying to sound as ingenuous as possible. 

He scoffed and furrowed his eyebrows at her again, looking at her in disbelief. "What do you mean by that?" he asked her, starting to sound a lot more bitter.

"Why would you feel the need to ask me something like that?" she snapped. "Did something happen recently?" Then, her heart sank as Pete sat in silence, as if he was trying to come up with a perfect answer. Tears started to form in her eyes as she began to suspect the worst. "Did something happen?"

"No." 

She stood up from her seat, turning her back towards him so he couldn't see the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I don't believe you," she whispered.

"What?"

"I don't believe you!" she snapped, turning back around to face him. Before he could defend himself, she interrupted him, "I don't believe you; you're acting so weird! I know something happened, I just know it!"

"You don't know what you're talking about-"

"Yes I-"

"No, you don't!" he interrupted her. "You think something happened between us, just because I'm tired?"

"There's more to it than that!"

"How would you-"

"I just know! And I don't tr-"

"Why?!"

"Because I don't trust anyone!" At that point, she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. Her chin quivered as she tried to hold back sobs. 

"That's not my fault," Pete muttered bitterly. 

She scoffed as she wiped her tears away. "Goddamn, talking to you is impossible," she said loud and clear, going to the bedroom and slamming the door shut. She laid on the bed, hugging a pillow close to her chest as she cried quietly. She stayed like that for a few hours until she fell asleep, leaving Pete (who refused to talk to her, and vice versa) alone in the sitting room for the rest of the night.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next day, Pamela woke up and found that Pete had already left. She brushed through her hair and put on a long-sleeved shirt and skirt, not even bothering to do her makeup. Her eyes were still swollen and she had an unbearable headache from crying all night. She picked up her coat and opened the front door, jumping as she saw Keith right in front of her, just about to knock.

"Hey Pam!" he greeted with his cute smile. "Where's Pete? I was supposed to give him back his record. Not really my type, I must say." He laughed as he held up a Bob Dylan record.

Pam just kept her blank expression on as she looked inside for a moment. "He's left already," she said quietly. 

"Oh," Keith said, his smile fading. "Pam, is everything alright?" She quickly shook her head, trying with all her might trying not to burst into tears. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She nodded and opened the door wider for him, letting him step inside. He set the record down on a table as he pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't hesitate to burst into tears, crying quietly on his shoulder. Keith just hugged her tighter, petting some of her hair. 

He led her onto the sofa, where he sat down with her as he held her even closer. She continued to cry until she couldn't anymore, her breath growing increasingly hoarse. He stayed with her the whole time, rubbing her back and keeping her hair out of her eyes.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" he asked her quietly. She nodded and wiped some of the tears away, still not letting go of him. "What happened?" 

"We got in a fight," she told him, trying not to cry again. 

"Oh no," Keith whispered, the color draining from his face. "It's not because of me, is it? I am so sorry-"

"No, no, no, not at all," Pam reassured him. "It wasn't about you at all; it was something really stupid. "

"How stupid?" Keith asked her curiously. 

"I thought maybe something had happened with him and Cheryl, just because he was acting really weird. Then he got really mad at me, and I got really mad at him, and here we are."

"I'm really sorry about that." 

"You don't have to apologize; it's not your fault at all." She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him in for a tighter hug. "I just..I don't know what to do about it now. We don't fight at all."

Keith nodded and sighed as he rubbed her back comfortingly. "Maybe just talk to him about it?"

She hesitated before answering. "We could.. we don't really talk much, I guess."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We don't really communicate very well. I'm trying to get better at that, but it's hard sometimes."

"I can understand that. Just try, OK? I don't want to see you getting brokenhearted."

Pamela smiled at him. "Really? What about Pete?"

"Oh, I don't care about Pete," he said with a laugh. He even got Pam to chuckle, which was a start. "I'm joking; I care about him. He's one of my best friends. But I'm more worried about you."

"You don't have to worry about me. Thank you so much for being here, though. You don't know what it means to me."

"Of course," he said with a smile. 

Pamela looked down at her wristwatch and gasped. "I'm sorry, I really have to get going." She stood up and brushed her skirt off, wiping her eyes one more time, as well. "I really appreciate you being here, thank you again."

He stood up too, hugging her one last time. "No problem at all. If you like I can give Pete a piece of my mind." He immediately started making fists and pretending to punch someone.

Pamela chuckled again, shaking her head. "No, I don't think that's necessary. Thanks, though."

Keith playfully pouted as he stopped his actions. "No, that makes sense. Can I at least give you a ride to work?" 

"Sure," Pamela smiled. "I'm getting tired of walking everyday, anyways."

Once again, he held out his arm for her, which she took. He led her outside to his car and opened the door for her. Was he normally this courteous?


	12. Chapter 12

Pamela barely said a word to Cheryl at the store that day. She was still very angry and very suspicious, and she refused to let Cheryl make her even more mad. She knew that just talking to her would end in a fight; that's usually what happened with her. Instead, they both went to doing their jobs quietly and awkwardly. Occasionally, Cheryl would try to start a conversation with her, but Pamela would either just nod or say one word. 

After a while, Cheryl was starting to get really annoyed. She finally grabbed her best friend by the arm, pulling her into the back, away from the customers. They both crossed their arms and stared each other off for a moment before Cheryl finally spoke up. "What's going on with you? You've barely talked to me all day, you've been giving me looks of death, and you won't tell me what the hell's going on."

"You want to know what's going on?" Pamela asked her with a scoff. "I hate you. That's what's going on." She started back for the door, but Cheryl grabbed her arm once again, keeping her in place.

"Why?" Cheryl asked her in disbelief. The words hurt her deeply, as much as she didn't want to admit it. What hurt even more is the way Pamela was able to say them without skipping a beat or showing any remorse. What had gotten into her? 

Pamela scoffed again, pulling her arm away from Cheryl. "Don't act stupid, you know what I'm talking about. You're trying to break me and Pete up."

Cheryl's jaw nearly dropped as she heard those words. The color drained from her face as she realized just what she was talking about. "Pam, nothing-"

"Don't. You've been trying to break us up since we started dating. Just admit it; you've never approved of us. Why is that, Cheryl? Do you like him or something? Is that why you keep trying to get in between us?"

Cheryl almost laughed at loud in shock. Pamela, however, was not amused and kept a straight face. "You're serious? Pam, I have never, ever in my life thought about dating Pete. And I would never help him cheat on you! I'm your best friend."

"Just because you're my best friend doesn't mean you wouldn't do something like that. And your feelings can change," Pamela said coldly. "I'm going back to work now."

Cheryl once again grabbed her arm, bringing her back closer to her. Pamela was getting more and more irritated every time she did, giving her dirty looks. "Neither of us are going back to work until we straighten this out. I really would never do something like that. Pete is definitely not my type. If I had to go for one of those tossers, it would be one with a lot more class than him."

Pamela glared at her friend as her cheeks grew red. "You don't know anything about him. Pete's perfect." She sighed as she looked down at the ground, her mind going back to him. She really didn't want to lose him, but at that point, she was scared. She didn't know who she could trust. "I'm not sure why you don't see that, especially since you two obviously did..something while I was gone."

"Are you kidding me?" Cheryl laughed. "Pam, no. I would never do that the first time I'm hanging out with a guy. Especially when he's dating my best friend."

As much as Pamela hated to admit it, Cheryl did have a point. She was way too sensible to move too fast with a guy. That's one of the reasons she was so judgmental when hearing about Pamela and Pete's relationship. Pamela also believed that Cheryl was a good friend, even if she made mistakes and was annoying sometimes. She would never intentionally hurt her friends. 

"Fine, I believe you," she sighed. Cheryl's eyes lit up and she sighed in relief. "I'm really sorry. I don't know why I was so suspicious of the two of you; you guys practically hate each other."

"Not so much anymore," Cheryl added. "But trust me, I will never like him in that way."

They both hugged each other tightly, swaying back and forth. "I'm sorry I got so mad at you," Pamela told her. "And I'm really sorry I got mad at Pete too."

"It's fine. I'm sorry if we were giving you reasons to be suspicious." Cheryl pulled away from her and looked past the curtain, trying to see if anyone was waiting for help. She held back a gasp as she saw who was waiting at the front counter. "Pam, there's someone here to see you." 

Pamela pushed past the curtain and saw Pete standing behind the counter, trying his best not to look nervous. He nodded as he saw her, watching her come closer to him. They both stood by each other awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. Cheryl was still hiding in the back, not wanting to get involved in the tension-filled moment. 

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time. They both chuckled softly and Pete rubbed the back of his neck. 

"I'm sorry," Pamela said to him. "I shouldn't have suspected you two; there's no possible way she'd let you anywhere near her."

Pete couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Trust me, I wouldn't let her near me first." They both stayed quiet again, looking down at the floor nervously and awkwardly. "I'm sorry too."

Finally, Pam pulled him in for a long, tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. Pam swayed back and forth with him once again, making him laugh. "Let's not fight anymore."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

December 1965 

At this time, The Who had become a lot more popular. They had just released their album, My Generation, at the beginning of the month, which was already at the top of the charts in the UK. It still had yet to be released in the US, however. Despite that, everyone involved was still so happy and grateful to be part of the experience.

That night on New Years Eve, Pete and Pamela, Keith, John and his girlfriend Alison were at Roger and his wife, Jackie's house celebrating the end of the year. Their son, Simon, was staying at a friend's house during the party. Over time, Pamela had become good friends with Alison and Jackie, but she didn't get as many chances to talk to Kim. Speaking of Kim, where was she? 

Pete, John and Roger were all talking amongst themselves, drinks in hand, while Pamela was talking with Alison and Jackie. Keith was off on his own, doing god know's what around the house. "So Alison, when do you think you and John are going to settle down?" Jackie asked her.

"Oh, I don't really know," Alison said with a small blush. "I really want to settle down with him, I'm just waiting for him to ask me."

"That's really sweet," Pamela told her. "I really hope he asks you soon. You two are adorable together."

"Thank you," Alison said sweetly. "You and Pete seem really cute together too."

"I couldn't agree more," Jackie said, taking a sip from her drink. "What about you, Pam? When do you think Pete's going to ask you?"

Pamela laughed and looked towards Pete, who was obviously getting sassy with Roger. "I don't really know, actually," she finally said to both of them. "We haven't really talked about that."

"Are you guys exclusive?" Alison asked her.

"Yeah, we are. I just..we never really talk about stuff like that."

Alison and Jackie both just nodded, unsure of what to say next. "Well, whatever works best for you. As long as you both are happy, I'm happy," Jackie told her with a smile. 

"Me too," Alison said, giving Pamela a one-armed hug. 

Pamela smiled as she hugged her back, pulling Jackie into the hug as well. "Thank you both, I don't know what I would do without the two of you," she told them sweetly. 

"Of course." As Alison and Jackie started talking about something else, Pamela looked around the room. She spotted Keith at the bottom of the staircase, sitting alone on the last step. He looked as if he was either deep in thought or plotting something. You could honestly never tell with him. 

Pamela quickly walked over to him and sat next to him on the staircase. He smiled brightly as he saw her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Pam, how the heck are you?" he asked, as if he hadn't seen her in a long time.

She laughed as she wrapped an arm around him too, quickly hugging him and then pulling away. "I'm doing just fine, how about you?" she asked him. 

"I'm alright. This party's kind of boring, though. Wish there was a bit more alcohol here," he complained.

"Of course you do," she sniggered, shaking her head. "Where's Kim? I thought she'd be here by now." 

"I don't know; I thought she'd be here too," he sighed. "It's alright, at least I have you to keep me company." 

She smiled at him. "Oh Keith, always a charmer," she teased him. "How about we go get some food? I'm starving."

"Sounds good to me," he said, jumping up from his seat. He helped her up and quickly led her to the kitchen. Instead of looking through the foods that were out on display, Keith snuck back into Roger and Jackie's pantry, trying to find something that was more suitable for his taste. 

Pamela laughed as she watched him, looking through the snacks that were already out for everyone. Suddenly, the front door swung open and Kim came rushing inside. She looked as if she had been crying all day and night and her hair was tangled and messy. 

"Hey Kim," Roger greeted her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," she obviously lied. "Where's Keith?"

They all pointed to the kitchen, and she quickly made her way to the pantry where Keith was. Pamela pretended to look busy so she could listen in on their conversation. That was pretty easy since they were both talking pretty loudly. The next two words that Pamela heard made her heart race. 

"I'm pregnant."


	13. Chapter 13

January 1966

Pamela knocked on the door of Keith's house, anxiously waiting to see him. His bandmates complained that he had been a little bit more on edge since he found out about the pregnancy, so Pamela thought she would try to cheer him up a bit. His mother, Kathleen, opened the door instead. She immediately smiled brightly as she saw her. 

"Hello, Pamela!" she greeted her, opening the door for her. As she stepped inside, she gave her a long hug. Her hugs reminded her a lot of Keith's; they were so warm and protective. "What brings you here?"

"Is Keith here?" Pamela asked her. "I haven't really seen him since..." Pamela didn't know how to phrase it delicately, luckily Kathleen immediately understood what she was talking about. 

"Yes, he's here," she answered, closing the front door. "He's just in his room. You can go see him, if you like."

"Thank you so much." She smiled at her and made her way up the stairs, careful not to disturb anyone else in the house. One thing she liked so much about the Moons' house was that it was so cosy and quaint. Once she found his room, she knocked on the door again. She took a few deep breaths in and out, trying to prepare for what was coming next. 

After what felt like twenty minutes, the door opened, revealing Keith in a large T-shirt and sweatpants. His hair was messier and more unkempt than usual, but he still looked adorable. "Hey Pam," he said to her, putting on a bright smile. "Long time, no see. What brings you here?" 

"I just wanted to check on you and see how you're doing," Pamela said to him, looking past him and around his room. "Is Kim in there with you?" 

"Uh, no she's not. She's at a doctor," he told her. "You can come in if you want. You don't have to stand in the hallway." He laughed as he opened the door a bit wider for her, letting her inside his room. He quickly closed it behind her, giving them both some privacy. 

Pamela looked around the room briskly before looking back at him. She wasn't really sure, but she couldn't help but think that he was putting on a show for her. He seemed happy, but not as happy as he usually was. He noticed her staring and gave her a funny look. "Are you finally checking me out?" he asked her. 

She immediately laughed, shaking her head in embarrassment. "No, I think you're already spoken for." Keith's smile faded and he nodded, sitting down on his bed. A wave of guilt flushed over her as she sat down next to him. "How are you doing?" she asked him. 

He sighed and leaned back so he was laying down on the bed. "As good as I can in a situation like this," he chuckled. He stared up at the ceiling, wishing that they could be talking about something else. Wishing that they were spending this time together in different circumstances. 

"I'm really sorry this is happening," she told him, scooting a bit closer to him. "I can't even imagine what you two are going through."

"Thanks," Keith sighed. "I just feel so bad for Kim. Her parents basically hate the both of us now. They're so angry with her, so she's been living with us lately." 

Pamela nodded, trying to stay sympathetic. She felt so guilty for feeling grateful that she and Pete weren't in this same situation. She knew for a fact that neither of them would have any clue what to do. That scared her to death. "I'm so sorry for both of you, really I am. I'm always here if you need me." 

Keith turned his head and looked over at her sweetly. "I've missed you a lot," he told her. Against her wishes, Pamela's cheeks grew pink. "I've missed doing crazy stuff with you. Like I told you before, Kim's not really into that short of stuff."

"Well, do you want to get out of here?" she offered. She smiled as Keith's eyes immediately lit up. "We can go anywhere you want and do anything you want."

"That sounds amazing," he said cheerfully, jumping up from his seat. Without even thinking, he pulled his pants down in front of her and searched his drawer for some jeans. 

"KEITH!" she laughed, covering her eyes. 

He laughed loudly as he dug through his drawers, trying to find a clean shirt. "Come on, it's not like you've never seen it before," he teased her. 

She scoffed playfully, refusing to uncover her eyes. "I've seen Pete like that many times, not you!" 

"What's the difference?" Keith asked her as he slipped on a long-sleeved shirt. "We're both men. You can uncover your eyes now."

She hesitantly parted both of her hands to see him tying up his shoelaces. She relaxed her arms as she waited patiently for him. "Yeah, but that's different. Pete's my boyfriend and you're my friend."

Keith hoped she didn't notice him cringing as she said that word. He hated that word, especially when she said it. "Yeah, I guess that's true," he chuckled, standing upright. "Ready to go?"

"Yes." He led her out of his room and shut his door. They quickly made their way down the stairs and to the front door. Before they left, he grabbed a large coat and swung it over his shoulders.

"Bye mother!" he yelled out as he opened the door for her. Before she could respond to him, he went outside with Pamela and shut the door. Once again, he opened the car door for her, then got in, giving her a mischievous look. "So, where to first?"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Keith took Pamela to one of his favorite restaurants in town, where they both decided to order the largest meal they could. Keith was surprisingly able to eat a lot of it, while Pamela could barely eat any of it. She laughed as he looked at her in shock. "Is that the best you can do?" he teased her. 

"Yes," she admitted. She watched in awe as he just kept going and going, not looking sick at all. "How can you do that?"

Keith laughed as he finally decided to take a break. "Don't ask, because I have no idea." He wiped his mouth off with his napkin, standing up from his seat. "Excuse me for a moment?"

"Of course," she smiled as she watched him walk off, assuming he was just going to the bathroom. The waiter came to her with the check, and she immediately started filling it out. She didn't want Keith to worry about paying for it. 

Once she was done, the waiter left her alone. She looked around the restaurant awkwardly as she waited for Keith, wondering where the hell he was. Just give him some time, she thought. He didn't look sick; hopefully that still wasn't the case. 

After a while, he came running towards the table. "Grab your stuff, we gotta go, go, go," he quickly told her in a hushed tone, helping her up from her seat. 

"What's going on?" she asked him, quickly grabbing her purse. "Is everything a-"

"WHAT THE HELL?!" a voice screamed from the bathroom. All the customers at the restaurant furrowed their eyebrows and turned their heads in that direction. 

"OK let's go now," he told her, grabbing her arm and running with her out of the restaurant. They were in the car and out of the parking lot faster than the speed of light. They were both laughing their heads off as Keith drove as far away as he could without getting pulled over.

"What happened?" Pamela finally asked him as soon as she was able to stop laughing. 

Keith laughed awkwardly. "I may have put a few cherry bombs down the toilet," he admitted sheepishly. 

Pamela's eyes widened. "What? How many?"

"Four or five, I can't really remember."

Pamela shook her head in disbelief as she started to laugh again. Keith looked at her and sighed in relief, laughing along with her. "I thought you were going to give me some dumb lecture about being sensible in public," he laughed.

"Why? Is that what Kim does?" 

"That is exactly what Kim does," he answered, trying not to sound annoyed.

"Well, shame on her. I admit I like a guy with a wild sense of humor."

For a moment, Keith's heart started pounding. "Really? That doesn't sound like Pete," he said, trying his best to play it off. 

"Don't worry, I still like Pete a lot," she reassured him. "Actually..I think I love Pete."

Once again, his heart started pounding as the color drained from his face. How could he have so much hope, just to have it crushed not two seconds later? Again, all he could do was do his best to play it off. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "Moving pretty fast, are we?"

"Shut up," she teased, rolling her eyes. He laughed once again, knowing how much that drives her crazy. "You won't tell him will you?"

"Your secret's safe with me," he comforted her with a fake smile. Fucking hell.


	14. Chapter 14

Early March 1966

Keith and Pamela were both starting to spend a lot more time together, which made Keith a lot happier. It made both Pete and Kim a little bit suspicious, but neither of them thought anything about it. After all, they both trusted their partners enough. As far as everyone was concerned, they were just two good friends hanging out together. Well, everyone except Keith, that is.

One day, Keith was having a really bad day and he begged Pamela to take him far away from town. So she took his car and drove far away with him to Primrose Hill, one of her favorite spots to get away and be alone. They parked the car at the base of the highest hill there and climbed to the top, where the plopped down and laid on their backs.

None of them said a word for a little while, just staring at the patterns of the clouds in the sky. Pamela rested both of her hands on her stomach, picking at her short fingernails to look busy. After a while, Keith rolled over on his side to look at her. When she caught him staring, she smiled and turned her head to the side to look at him. The pupils in his beautiful, large brown eyes were dilated and his cheeks were tinted pink.

"What are you staring at?" Pamela teased him with a laugh.

"Isn't it obvious?" Keith asked her quietly. He quickly darted his eyes past her, trying to find a way to change the subject. "Look, there are little kids selling ice cream over there!"

Pamela turned her head to look in the direction he was facing and smiled. "How cute is that?" she asked. She looked back towards him. "Did you bring any money?"

"No, did you?"

"No." They both groaned in defeat as they looked back up towards the sky. "It's alright; I'm already tired from running up this hill, anyways."

Keith turned on his side once again and looked at her like she was crazy. "You're already tired? I'm not."

Pamela laughed and turned on her side to face him. "That's because you have endless amounts of energy," she teased. "What are you going to do, roll down the hill?"

Keith smirked mischievously as he stood up, walking over to where the hill began to slope. He laid down parallel to the hill and covered his head with his arms before quickly rolling down. Pamela laughed as she watched him, trying not to be concerned that he was going to break something. To her relief, he got right back up and climbed back up to her.

"How do you have so much energy?" she asked him in disbelief.

"Don't ask," he laughed, struggling to catch his breath again. He grabbed her by the hand, making her stand up with him. "Come on, it's so much fun."

"No!" she laughed, trying in vain to pull away from him. "I don't want to break my neck!"

"Aw, come on, I didn't!" he wouldn't let go of her hands as he laid down on the ground again.

She looked past him at the slope of the hill, biting her lip nervously. "I don't know, it looks pretty steep," she told him anxiously.

"Don't you trust me?" he pouted, giving her puppy eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, she had to give in every time he looked at her like that.

"Fine, but only just this once!" She laid down on the ground, making sure there was no way they would hurt each other when they both tumbled down the hill. Keith laughed as he saw her covering her head nervously. They tilted to the side so they started rolling down the steep hill. Pam screamed a little bit at first, but eventually got used to it.

Once they made it to the base of the hill, Pamela uncovered her head and threw her arms to the side, gasping for air. Keith laughed as he immediately got up, taking her hand and helping her up. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he teased her.

She nodded, swaying a bit as she took a step closer to him. "Yeah, it was actually really fun! My head is just hurting really bad right now."

"Do you need me to carry you back up there?" he offered.

Once again, Pamela laughed and looked at him in disbelief. "No, I think I'll be alright. I don't want to trouble you, you're probably even more exhausted than I am from going down twice."

"No, not at all," he reassured her, taking her hand and walking back up the tall hill with her. They both walked a lot slower that time, since Pam's was still reeling. He laughed at her staggering, which made her playfully hit his arm. He wrapped a protective arm around her, helping her get back up in one piece.

When they finally made it to the top, they sat down cross-legged, staring out at the rest of the park. Keith was feeling a lot more brave than usual, so he scooted a bit closer to her. To his surprise, she didn't laugh at him or tease him. She rested her head on his shoulder, making his heart start pounding almost out of his chest.

Much to his relief, she spoke up, hopefully covering the sound of his heartbeat. "Are you going to tell me what happened today?"

"It's just the same shit that happens everyday," Keith sighed. "Everyone I try to talk to about what's going on just makes me feel worse about it, telling me there's no way I can take care of her and the baby. Everyone except you."

Pamela looked at him and saw that he was already looking at her. "I'm sorry everyone says that," she told him sympathetically. "But I believe in you."

"Thank you," he said to her sweetly. To his surprise, she didn't look away from him. Getting braver and braver by the second, he took a deep breath and leaned in closer to her. Without even thinking, Pamela leaned in closer to him as well. Their lips briskly brushed against each other's before Pamela turned her head away from him.

"No," she whispered, trying not to cry. "I'm not going to do this with you. I'm not just going to be the girl you turn to when your relationship with her gets bad."

Keith nodded and swallowed, doing his best to blink back the tears. The last thing he wanted that day was for her to see him crying. "I'm sorry," he told her. "What was I thinking?" He put on another smile and laughed quietly.

Pamela laughed too and wiped a single tear away. "Phew!" she chuckled. "Should we go home now?"

"Yeah," Keith stood up, helping her up once again. She brushed some grass off of her skirt, as well as his shirt. He held her hand again as they both walked down the hill, calmer than the last time. Keith tried to stop his hand from shaking the whole time. He had never felt so close, yet so far from someone before.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

(smut warning)

Pam walked through the door of her flat to see Pete in his usual spot, on the sofa with his guitar on his knee. He looked up at her and smiled briskly before going back to playing. She kicked off her shoes and sat next to him on the sofa. To her surprise, he immediately set down his guitar and wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

"How was it with Keith today?" he asked her, not letting go or pulling away from her.

"It was alright," she answered. She moved her hand to play with some of his hair, which was starting to grow out longer. "I hope he gets feeling better soon."

"Yeah, me too," he sighed, rubbing her lower back.

She lifted her head up from his shoulder and got lost in his deep blue eyes. Without saying a word, she leaned in and kissed his lips softly but deeply. He kissed her back, cupping her cheek in his hand. She deepened the kiss as she softly ran a hand through his hair.

Without breaking away, she moved to sit on his lap, resting both of her hands on his shoulders. Both of his hands went to the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and throwing it somewhere else. She giggled lightly against his lips, making the kiss rougher as she unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off.

Once they were both fully unclothed, he laid her down and wasted no time thrusting into her. She moaned as she wrapped both legs around him, moving her hips to match his movements. She kissed all along his neck, leaving dark purple marks as his movements became sharper and quicker.

"God," she muttered, holding onto both of his arms. They moaned in unison as he came inside her. He pulled out and held her close, kissing her cheek over and over again. "I lo- I like you a lot, Pete."

He chuckled, nuzzling his face in her neck after throwing a blanket over the both of them. "I like you a lot too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //my first time writing smut ;-;


	15. Chapter 15

The next day when Pamela walked through the doors of Biba, she found Pete waiting for her at the front desk. He was talking to Cheryl to pass the time, and what surprised her is that they were having a normal, friendly conversation. Once he saw the doors open out of the corner of his eye, he turned back and looked at Pamela with a smile.

She went to him and pulled him into a large hug, soon realizing that she might have interrupted their conversation. "Sorry about that," she told them both with a laugh. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Oh don't worry about it," Cheryl told her, starting to laugh along with her. "I'm going to get back to work anyways." She went to the area with the shoes and started sorting them out and organizing them, leaving the couple alone.

"So, what brings you here?" Pamela asked him with a smirk.

He wrapped her arms around her waist and brought her closer to him, much to the annoyance of some of the older customers there. "I think we should do something tonight," he told her. "You're always spending time with Keith nowadays; we never even see each other anymore."

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, Keith has been going through a lot lately," she defended. "But you're right, we need to spend more time together."

"Finally something we can agree on," he joked, still somehow managing to sound judgemental. "So I'll just pick you up after work?"

"Sounds perfect," she told him with a smile. He pulled her in for a deep kiss, which made the same people scoff and roll their eyes. Pamela smirked before backing him up against the counter and kissing him passionately, making Pete chuckle against her lips.

"That's enough!" Cheryl exclaimed, pulling the two of them apart. She shook her head at them before walking away as they both just laughed.

"See you tonight," he told Pamela, pecking her lips sweetly. He smiled before making his way out the door.

"Lo- Bye!" she called out after him. She smiled at the floor as she got back to work, making Cheryl look at her suspiciously.

"What was all that about?" Cheryl asked with a mischievous smile.

Pamela tried her best not to blush, but that didn't work out too well for her. "What are you talking about?" she asked as nonchalantly as possible.

Cheryl laughed and folded her arms. "You think I didn't notice that?" she asked her, trying not to laugh again. "You almost said you love him."

She blushed once again, trying to keep busy. "And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with it. I just think if you really want him to know, you should tell him for real. Don't just say it in passing."

"I get where you're coming from, I just don't want to," Pamela admitted with a laugh.

"Why not?" Cheryl asked, looking at her with a quizzical look, wondering what in the world was going on in her head. "If you love him so much, I think you should tell him."

"Why do you care so much?" Pamela asked her, unable to stop laughing or blushing. She was somehow both amused and annoyed with what was going on. "I just get really nervous talking to him about stuff like that."

Cheryl nodded sympathetically. "But you shouldn't have to; he's your boyfriend."

"I'm aware of that, but it's different with him," she told her, finally calming down. "I get so nervous talking to him about everything. But with Keith, I can say or do anything and he won't judge me."

"Who's Keith?" Cheryl asked her with a small smirk.

Pamela quickly shook her head. "No, no, don't you dare. Keith is just a good friend of mine, and he's also a good friend of Pete's. That's all we'll ever be."

Cheryl nodded, obviously being sarcastic. "Mhm. Well, at least you know if things don't work out with Pete, you'll have Keith to go to."

Pamela sighed and looked down at the floor. "Actually, his girlfriend is pregnant with his child, so I don't think he and I really have a chance. If I did like him in that way, that is."

Once again, Cheryl nodded, getting more sympathetic as time passed by. "Well, you never know. Even if you don't have feelings for him right now, you might in the future."

Pamela chuckled. "I doubt it. I want to be with Keith as much as you want to be with Pete."

Cheryl suddenly burst out into laughter, making Pamela start laughing as well. "Well, then I guess that settles it!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Pamela sat on top of the counter late at night, waiting for Pete to come pick her up. Once again, she was feeling nervous, like she did every time she was about to spend time with him. Her heart was racing and she was getting hot in her long-sleeved, floral dress.

Cheryl picked up her fur coat of the rock, swinging it over his shoulders. She looked at Pamela and chuckled to herself. "Don't be nervous," she said, holding her hand comfortingly.

"Easier said than done," Pamela told her.

Cheryl nodded and pulled her hand away, flipping off some of the lights in the store. "Can you lock up once he's here?" she asked her.

"Of course," Pamela answered with a smile. "See you later, Cheryl."

"Bye." She shut the door behind her, leaving Pamela alone with her thoughts. Ugh, how she hated being alone with so much on her mind.

Why did she always get so nervous before spending time with Pete? They lived together, for goodness sake. Ever since they started dating, there was something about him that almost intimidated her. Not that it was a bad thing at all, it just made her nervous around him. But with Keith, it really was different. She wasn't afraid to let loose and be herself.

Lately, she got the feeling that she wouldn't be able to spend as much time with Keith after the baby was born. That hurt her so deeply, she didn't know how to explain it. Seeing Keith was one of the best parts of her day, and she didn't want that to stop. She didn't want to lose one of her close friends.

Finally, the front door opened, and Pete came in with a smile. "Ready to go?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said with a smile. She turned off the remaining lights and led him outside, locking the door. They walked hand in hand down the street, staying close together.

Pamela rested her head on his shoulder, making him chuckle and rest his head against hers. "How was your day today?" she asked him.

"It was alright," he sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do with those guys sometimes."

"What is it this time?" Pamela asked him with a laugh.

"Keith is just acting so insane all the time," Pete said, rolling his eyes. "And then there's John, who just goes along with him on everything and supports every dumb thing he does."

Pamela laughed softly. "Well, at least someone's supporting him, right?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Pete admitted, doing his best not to sound bitter. "Enough about me. How was your day?"

"Same old same old," Pamela answered, sighing quietly. "Just putting up with all of Cheryl's bullshit, as usual."

Pete laughed out loud at her blunt response. "What's Cheryl doing this time?"

"Just giving me those same old lectures about how I'm supposed to live my life. And get this, she thinks I have a crush on Moonie. Moonie!" Once again, Pete laughed out loud, causing Pamela to laugh too. "Can you imagine?"

"Uh, no, I can't," Pete snickered.

Just then, Pete led her inside the bar where they went on their first date. Pamela smiled as she looked around the room then back at him, pecking his lips. They sat down at the bar, sighing heavily in unison.

"We're going to be here for a while," Pete chuckled as he paid for some drinks. "It's been a long day." He took a long sip from his beer, tilting his head back.

Pamela chuckled. "I'm alright with that," she said, taking an even longer sip from hers.

☆☆☆

After drinking for a while, they were both completely out of it. Pamela found literally everything that was going on around her hilarious, and Pete could barely sit up straight in his seat. She rested her head on the counter, looking at him dreamily. When he noticed, he furrowed his eyebrows at her.

"What are you looking at?" he asked her with a laugh.

"Your dick," she answered, immediately bursting into a fit of giggles. He started to laugh along with her as he poured them both another drink, which they both drank without a second thought.

Once Pamela finished, she set her glass down (almost breaking it) and looked at him right in the eyes. "Let's do something crazy," she said with a mischievous smile.

"Yeah, let's," he agreed as his eyes lit up, matching her expression. "Let's move to America!"

"Let's get a boat and sail to Peru!"

"Let's get a plane and fly to Australia!"

"Let's get married!" Pamela chipped in without even thinking. She froze as he took a moment to respond.

"You know what, fuck it. Let's get married."

Pamela squealed like a little schoolgirl as they both stood up from their seats, racing towards the front door. They immediately called a taxi and told him to take them to the closest Register Office. On the way, Pamela sat on Pete's lap, kissing him deeply while running her hands through his hair. He kissed her back roughly as he moved his hands up and down her back.

The driver looked at them through the rear view mirror and rolled his eyes. "Kids today, I swear to God," he muttered.

However, Pam and Pete were too happy (and too drunk) to care. Before they got too carried away, the driver finally made it to the office, thanking the heavens above he didn't have to see anything else. Without even paying, they raced out the door and into the office.

"Excuse me, where can we get married?" Pamela asked the receptionist politely. Once again, she looked at the couple up and down with a concerned look. Without saying a word, she pointed to the right.

They giggled as went in that direction, finally finding the right room. They went to the man at his desk and started giggling again. "Can I help you?" he asked them, pulling off his glasses to look at them closely.

"We want to get married," Pete announced proudly.

The man looked at them both with furrowed eyebrows. He crossed his eyes back and forth from Pete to Pam, then back to Pete. "Are you sure about this?" he asked them. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, yes, yes," Pamela answered with a giggle. She jumped up and down in place while Pete started giggling uncontrollably.

The man sighed as he pulled out a few papers from his cabinet. He told them both exactly where they should sign, and gave them pens. Just in case, he made sure to watch them while they signed the papers. They both scribbled their names as quickly as they could, then did their best to fill out the rest of the information.

"Congratulations," the old man said dryly. "You are married."

Pamela squealed once again before grabbing Pete's face and kissing him passionately. The old man cringed as he cleared his throat, startling them. "Did you happen to bring any rings?"

Pete started skimming through his pockets to no avail, while Pamela reached in her pocket and pulled out two plain gold rings. Pete gasped as he saw them. "Where did you get those?" he asked her in disbelief.

"I work at Baba, silly," she said, playfully pushing him.

"Biba?" the old man asked, just trying to clarify.

"Yeah, that's right," Pamela said as she started giggling uncontrollably. She slid her ring on her own finger, than give the other to Pete, who did the same.

The old man folded the papers up and gave them to Pete, who just shoved them into his coat pocket. "Congratulations, again" he sighed.

"Thank you!" they both giggled as they ran out of the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //well that happened LMAO


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, Pamela woke up with a headache so intense that she felt as if her head was going to explode. She sat up in bed and rubbed her temples, trying to get rid of the terrible pain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an unfamiliar gold blur on her finger. She gazed at her hand and looked at the ring on her finger. At first she forgot where it came from, then she remembered she snuck a few rings from the store.

Just then, Pete sat up in his seat as well, looking at her with bloodshot eyes. She chuckled softly as she noticed that both of them were still fully clothed. "Morning," he said quietly, groaning at the sudden pain in his forehead. He started rubbing his forehead when Pamela noticed a gold ring on his finger, too. 

"Where'd you get that?" she asked him with a laugh, grabbing his hand and examining the ring. 

"You, I'm guessing," Pete chuckled dryly. He looked down at the ring and furrowed his eyebrows a bit. "Not really my taste." 

Pamela chuckled as soft as she could to not make her headache worse. "You must've been really drunk last night, if that's the case," she suggested.

"You were pretty drunk too, if I remember correctly," he laughed again. 

She sighed and laid back down, trying to relax. Her head was still pounding and her eyes were starting to hurt every time she moved them. "Do you remember anything else?" she asked him curiously. 

Pete thought for a moment, staring off into space. He kept trying to relax and get rid of his headache as well, but it wasn't working out too well for him. "No, not really. All I remember is going to the bar and then everything goes black from there."

He sighed as he stood up, a few crumpled up pieces of paper falling from his coat pocket. Pamela looked over at him curiously as he picked them both up from the ground. She waited in suspense as he unfolded them, squinting his eyes to read them. As soon as he did, his eyes widened and he dropped them on the bed.

"OH MY GOD-"

Pamela winced at the sudden vocal modification, rubbing her head with one hand and grabbing the papers with the other. When she glanced over the writings on the paper, her heart dropped and she looked down at her ring. Suddenly, she burst out into laughter, which made her head start throbbing like crazy. 

Pete looked at her and started laughing too, although it was a bit more of a nervous laugh. Pamela looked at the small ring on her finger, unable to stop giggling. "We're married," she breathed, trying to catch her breath. When she was finally able to stop, she sighed and the expression on her face changed. "We're married." 

Suddenly, she didn't have anymore control of her emotions and she promptly burst into tears. She hid her face in her hands as the tears came streaming down, her head throbbing harder than ever. Pete came to her and wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her back comfortingly. "What's the matter?" he asked her.

She shook her head as she looked back up at him. "I guess we're going to have to get divorced now," she answered him through sobs. She immediately went back to hiding her face, trying to stay quiet as she cried hysterically.

"Shh, we're not going to do that," he told her sweetly. "That's just the hangover talking."

"Really?" she asked him in disbelief. "Why not?"

"Because I like you too much for that," he chuckled, as if it was obvious.

She slowly uncovered her face, looking back at him again. "You do?" she asked him sweetly.

"Yeah, obviously."

She took a deep breath, looking away from him for a moment. She figured that now was a good time as any to finally tell him how she felt. They were married, after all. "I love you, Pete," she told him bashfully, her cheeks growing bright red.

Expecting a sarcastic remark, she hid her face again. To her surprise, he pulled her hands away and gazed into her eyes. "I love you too," he said to her.

Her cheeks grew even more red as she stopped herself from crying again. "Thank god," she laughed, pulling him into a large hug. He laughed and hugged her back, kissing all over her cheek. They pulled away from each other and sat back down on the bed, sighing. 

"So... what do we do now?" she asked.

"No idea," Pete chortled. "We have to tell the band, though. Otherwise, they'll be upset with the both of us."

"Pete, what if the media finds out?" Pamela asked him, giving him a concerned look. 

"What about it?"

"Don't you guys have some 'image' to keep up?" 

Pete shook his head quickly. "No, no one cares about that. Trust me."

Pamela nodded and stood up, changing into some cool, light clothes. She brushed through her long dark hair and pulled it into a messy, unkempt bun. She avoided putting on makeup and settled for putting on some large, dark sunglasses. He sighed and followed her lead, changing into a dark button-up shirt and some dress pants. He put on a dark pair of sunglasses as well. 

"Can we get some coffee on the way?" she asked him. "That's supposed to help a hangover."

"Sure," he nodded, grabbing his guitar case and opening the front door for her. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

They both walked through the doors of the studio, coffees in hand and wearing their jet-black sunglasses. John and Roger exchanged a suspicious look before looking the two of them up and down. "What the hell happened to you?" Roger asked them both, unable to refrain from laughing. John laughed along with him, making them both wince and rub their heads.

"Not so loud, please," Pete said, getting his guitar out of his case and tuning up. 

Roger and John both looked at Pamela and pulled her into a hug. "Good to see you here, Pam," Roger told her. "I feel like we don't see you here as often anymore."

"Yeah, you're always spending time with Keith these days," John chuckled.

Pamela smiled at them both. "Sorry about that, guys. We'll have to plan something so we can spend some more time together."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Roger said. "Where'd you get those sunglasses?"

"Biba," Pamela answered flatly.

"They look pretty dark to be wearing them inside," John laughed. He tried to pull them off of her, but she quickly slapped his hand away. 

She chuckled awkwardly. "What's wrong with wearing sunglasses inside?"

"I feel like you both have something to tell us," John remarked, smirking at Pamela, and then back at Roger.

"Where's Moon?" Pete asked them, ignoring John. 

"Late, as usual," Roger answered. "Now don't change the subject on us. What's going on with you two?"

Pete and Pamela exchanged a look before Pete took a deep breath. "We may have gotten married last night," he told them both sheepishly. 

John and Roger looked at each other and bursted into laughter. Pete rolled his eyes angrily, not caring if no one was able to see it. Pamela just stood still as she blushed profusely. After a little while, they were finally able to stop and catch their breath. "You got married last night and you didn't even invite us?" Roger asked in disbelief, sounding offended.

John shook his head and crossed his arms. "Shame on the both of you."

"It was a bit of a last minute decision," Pamela admitted.

"You were both shit-faced, weren't you?" Roger asked, looking back and forth from Pete to Pamela.

They both quickly shook their heads. "Absolutely not!" they answered at the same time. 

Roger and John both looked at each other once again, totally unconvinced. "Sure," they both said sarcastically.

Just then, the door burst open and in came Keith, looking a lot more energetic and excited than usual (which was saying a lot). Upon seeing Pamela, he smiled brightly. "What brings you here?" he asked her, pulling her into a hug. 

Before she could answer him, John chipped in. "Pete and Pamela have some news for you."

Keith smirked at her and Pete. "Ooh, I have some news too, actually," he said. "Now what do you have to say? Did you guys finally break up?" he asked her, half as a joke and half in all seriousness. 

Pamela and Pete both laughed. If only he knew. "No, actually," Pete remarked. "We got married last night."

Keith's eyes widened as the color drained from his face. He was so shocked that it took him at least a minute to process the information. He swallowed, doing his best to hide his tears. He immediately put on a bright smile and faked a laugh. "Wow! Were you guys shit-faced or something?" he asked.

Once again, Pete rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone always ask that?"

"What's going on with you?" Pamela asked him, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Oh, right," Keith laughed, his heart pounding nearly out of his chest. "I got married last night, too." 

This time, it was Pamela's turn to freeze. Her heart started pounding as her eyes widened. She asked herself, why was she reacting this way, too? "Wow, Keith," she laughed. 

"Unbelievable!" John exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.


	17. Chapter 17

After hearing the news, Jackie and Alison both decided to take Pamela and Kim out to dinner. They all waited for Kim to arrive for a while, just chatting while ordering some coffee. Unsurprisingly, Jackie and Alison both treated Pamela the same way as their partners after hearing about her "wedding ceremony."

"So, how does it feel to finally be married?" Jackie teased Pamela, giving her a small smirk. Alison giggled along with her, giving her a wink.

Pamela rolled her eyes playfully. "It was...shocking at first, but now we couldn't be happier." She took a sip of her coffee, nervous about what her curious friends were going to ask her next.

"When did you two decide to do it?" Alison asked her.

Pamela looked down and started picking at her fingernails nervously, trying to find the best answer. "It was kind of a last minute decision," she finally told them both. "I guess we were just feeling a bit...spontaneous?"

Both Jackie and Alison giggled a bit at her response. "That doesn't sound like Pete," Jackie remarked. "That sounds more like something our Moonie would do."

"What can I say? I guess I bring out the..spontaneity in him," Pamela chuckled nervously.

"I guess you do," Alison said sweetly. "Never mind how it happened, how did it feel? In the moment, that is."

Pamela had to think for a moment before answering. Obviously, she didn't remember how she felt during the wedding- or whatever it should've been called. She could imagine that she was really happy in the moment; happy and excited. "Well, it wasn't really the dream wedding I was hoping for," she laughed. "But it was wonderful. I was so happy."

The girls both smiled sweetly at her and even put a hand to their hearts. "How sweet is that?" Jackie asked.

"I only wish we could've been there," Alison sighed. "Same with Kimmy's; I really would've liked to see what the ceremony would've been like."

Both Jackie and Pamela nodded in agreement. "Roger says they're trying to keep their marriage and the baby a secret," Jackie whispered to them both. "I just don't know why; maybe its something about keeping up the band's 'image.'"

Pamela's heart suddenly dropped. There it was again; the awful feeling she couldn't shake that she was somehow going to ruin the band's reputation. What if somehow the press found out about the real story of their marriage? "Surely being married can't be such a bad thing, right?" she asked them.

"I don't really know the whole story," Jackie told them. "I don't know why they want to keep it a secret. It's just their decision, I guess."

Alison and Pamela nodded and both took a sip from their coffees. Everyone sat in awkward silence for a moment before Kim finally came into the restaurant. She was wearing big, baggy clothes to try to disguise her pregnancy. She smiled at her friends and sat down next to Alison at the table. "Sorry I'm late," she apologized. "I wasn't feeling very well."

Everyone nodded sympathetically, especially Jackie. "I remember that feeling," Jackie chuckled. "I was so sick when I was pregnant with Simon. It was awful."

"Really?" Kim asked her. "What did you do?"

Jackie shrugged. "There's not much you can do, just be a bit more careful about what you eat and drink," she sighed.

Kim just nodded and looked down at her menu, trying to hide the terrified look on her face. Pamela felt so bad for her, but she didn't know what to do or say to make her feel better. She had no idea how she was feeling or what her situation was like. "How's Keith doing?" Pamela asked her.

"He's alright," Kim answered, looking back up at her. "He talks about you a lot."

Pamela looked at Kim in disbelief. "Are you serious?" she asked her with a small laugh. "What does he say?"

"All sorts of things, really. He says that he appreciates you a lot and you always manage to put a smile on his face, no matter how sad he is. He doesn't know what he would do without you." There was something a little bit off about the tone in Kim's voice; it almost sounded as if she was jealous or bitter. Pamela tried her best to look past it, but still couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was off.

"That's really sweet of him," Pamela told her, smiling softly. "He's a really good friend of mine. I don't know why I'd do without him, either. Or Pete."

Once again, Jackie and Alison both smiled brightly. "You all are just too adorable," Jackie sighed. "Kimmy, why don't you tell us more about the wedding? We were really sad we couldn't be there."

"It all happened so fast," Kim answered with a laugh. "Really, we had to cut it a bit short for obvious reasons. Nobody got to come except for Keith's parents, who drove us there. We told my parents about it, but they wouldn't come."

"I'm sorry about that," Alison told her. "How do you feel? Are you happy?"

For what seemed like the first time since she had been there, Kim smiled at them all. "I feel really happy. I love Keith so much and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him."

"That's lovely," Pamela told her genuinely. Kim just nodded and looked back down at her menu. She didn't know why it was so hard to become good friends with Kim; she was already so close with Alison and Jackie. They were so easy to talk to and so sweet, but Kim was complicated.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next day, Pamela took a break from work to watch the band perform on "Ready Steady Go!" with Jackie, Kim and Alison. They all sat in the audience together, waiting for them to come on stage to perform. Once they finally came on, they clapped and cheered for them.

Their boys all nodded and waved a bit before getting their instruments ready. From onstage, Keith was looking directly at Pamela with a bright smile, while Kim was trying to get his attention. Pamela smiled brightly back at him, giving him a quick wave. As if she noticed, Kim blew him a kiss, which he pressed to his heart dramatically.

Finally, they were finished getting ready, and they started performing. Roger grabbed his microphone and started singing, along with Pete and John singing the harmonies, "People try to put us d-down, just because we get around. Things they do look awful c-c-cold, I hope I die before I get old."

They had such an amazing presence on stage. They all had so much energy and drive, not just Keith. Even Pete was incredibly energetic, dancing and jumping around with his guitar. John, however, stood still as he sang and played with a blank expression. Not really a surprise.

"Why don't you all f-fade away. Don't try to dig what we all s-s-s-say. I'm not trying to 'cause a big s-s-sensation, I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation."

Once they were done performing that song, the whole audience clapped and cheered for them once again. They nodded their heads quickly, then got back to performing again.

"You think we look pretty good together

You think my shoes are made of leather But I'm a substitute for another guy  
I look pretty tall but my heels are high  
The simple things you see are all complicated  
I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated, yeah Substitute your lies for fact  
I can see right through your plastic mac  
I look all white, but my dad was black  
My fine-looking suit is really made out of sack I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth  
The north side of my town faced east, and the east was facing south  
And now you dare to look me in the eye  
Those crocodile tears are what you cry  
It's a genuine problem, you won't try  
To work it out at all you just pass it by, pass it by Substitute me for him  
Substitute my coke for gin  
Substitute you for my mum  
At least I'll get my washing done But I'm a substitute for another guy  
I look pretty tall but my heels are high  
The simple things you see are all complicated  
I look pretty young, but I'm just backdated, yeahI was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth  
The north side of my town faced east, and the east was facing south  
And now you dare to look me in the eye  
Those crocodile tears are what you cry  
It's a genuine problem, you won't try  
To work it out at all you just pass it by, pass it bySubstitute me for him  
Substitute my coke for gin  
Substitute you for my mum  
At least I'll get my washing done Substitute your lies for fact  
I can see right through your plastic mac  
I look all white, but my dad was black

My fine-looking suit is really made out of sack."

They performed a few more songs, and the girls, who were expecting them to just go off stage, clapped and cheered for them once more. However, what they did next startled them quite a bit. Pete swung the guitar off of his shoulders and grabbed it by the neck, smashing it onto the floor. Pamela gasped audibly in shock, covering her ears as the deafening sound flooded through the studio.

As if that wasn't enough, Keith's drums began to smoke off, and he knocked his entire kit off of his platform, which also created thunderous booms through the studio. Once the body of Pete's guitar was smashed in, he grabbed it by the base and smashed the neck into his amp, causing even louder noises to fill the room, making Pamela's ears ring. The whole time, John was just standing there, staring off into space and playing his bass.

Once they were finally done, the feedback was still deafening, but at least it wasn't nearly as loud as before. The audience, who was still trying to recover, clapped and cheered as quietly as they could.

The girls all stood up from their seats, looking at each other with wide eyes. They both shook their heads and met up with their boyfriends backstage. Pamela immediately jumped into her husband's arms, hugging him and kissing all over his face. He let out a breathy chuckle, still trying to catch his breath.

"What'd you think?" he asked her loudly, his ears obviously still damaged.

"I thought it was great!" she exclaimed loudly. She stroked some of his hair, tucking it behind his ear. "How are your ears?"

"They hurt like hell, thanks for asking!" he answered.

"You should start wearing ear plugs!"

"Nah, don't worry about me, I'll be fine."


	18. Chapter 18

After their performance was over, Pete, Pamela, Keith, John and Alison all decided to go to John's house for a little after-party. Roger and Jackie were both busy taking care of Simon, and Kim complained that she was feeling a little under the weather. John and Alison led them inside their flat, where they wasted no time pulling out beers and cigarettes.

They all sat down at the counter with their drinks and cigarettes in hand, chatting and having good time. Everyone except Pamela, that is; she only had a cigarette. "Pam, don't you want a drink?" John asked, offering her a bottle. 

"Oh, no thanks. We all remember what happened the last time I was drunk," Pamela laughed, looking at Pete. He just widened his eyes a bit, then immediately went back to drinking. Everyone gave the couple confused looks, but they just shrugged them off. "Never mind. What I meant was I'm probably going to have to be the one driving Pete home tonight."

Everyone just nodded and went back to drinking. Pamela took a long drag from her cigarette, exhaling and blowing smoke in Pete's direction. He chuckled softly as he gave her a sip of his drink. Keith, who was sitting on the opposite side of the counter, guzzled his drink like there was no tomorrow. 

John, who noticed this, laughed and patted his back. "Whoa there, is everything alright?" he asked him. Even Alison went along with her boyfriend and rubbed Keith's back comfortingly. 

"Yeah, yeah, everything's just peachy," Keith answered with a drunken smile, squinting his eyes. "If we could get Pam and Pete to stop acting so 'coupley' that would be great." He grumbled as he finished his bottle, making his way to John's pantry for another. 

John and Alison turned their heads to look at the couple, who were sitting very close together and giving each other kisses. They were acting "coupley," they both had to admit. "Poor Moonie," Alison said to John. 

John sighed and nodded. "Poor Moonie indeed," he said, taking another sip of his drink. "What can we do for him?"

Alison shook her head. "I don't think there's much we can do for him, except be here," she sighed.

"You're right about that," John told her, kissing her forehead. Just then, Keith came back with not one, but five more bottles of beer. He sat down at the same place at the counter, chugging his bottle one after another. Alison and John watched him the whole time, giving him a concerned look. "Oh god," John muttered to Alison. 

Alison sighed sadly as she took another drink, followed by John. After no one (except for Keith) could drink anymore alcohol, they sat down on the carpeted floor of the sitting room. Pamela, the only one sober, sat on Pete's lap, who was so drunk he could barely stop laughing. Meanwhile Alison and John sat together and Keith sat alone, across from both of the couples.

Keith laid on the floor and stared at the ceiling so he wouldn't have to look at them. Pete wrapped his arms around Pamela and started lightly kissing her neck, which made her giggle. Meanwhile, John and Alison were still a little bit drunk, but not too drunk to be unaware of what was going on. They saw Keith across from them, looking heartbroken. 

"Why don't we play a game?" Alison offered, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Yes!" John agreed. "Keith, what's your favorite game?"

"Seven minutes in heaven," Keith answered flatly. Pamela laughed quietly as John facepalmed. 

"It has to be something appropriate, Keith," John scolded him. 

Keith started whining. "Fine," he groaned. "Spin the Bottle."

Alison looked at John skeptically, then back at Keith. "That's a little bit better," she told him. "But we were thinking something that maybe didn't require you to cheat on your partner."

Keith sighed. "Well then, I'm out of ideas." He turned towards the couch and rested his legs up on the arm, staring at the ceiling. Alison and John both looked at each other, wondering what to do next. They wanted to make Keith happy, but at the same time, they didn't want to get involved in whatever he had planned. 

"You know what, let's play Spin the Bottle," John reluctantly agreed, slowly making his way to the counter and grabbing an empty bottle. Keith cheered as they all gathered together in a circle, setting the bottle in the middle. "You all know the rules. Let's get this over with."

After John spun the bottle, he tried his best not to roll his eyes as he saw it land in Pamela's direction. Not that he didn't like her, but the only one at that party he wanted to kiss was Alison. Keith immediately shot him a dirty look, which made him laugh awkwardly. He leaned in and gave Pamela a quick but sweet kiss on the cheek. "Sorry, Pam," he laughed.

"No, I don't mind at all," she laughed, moving to take her turn. It landed on Pete, who was so drunk he could hardly see straight. "Oh, would you look at that?" She smiled as she cupped Pete's cheek in her hand and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"You've got to be shitting me," Keith muttered bitterly. Then, he spoke up a bit louder and put on a fake smile. "Since Pete's too shit-faced to go, I'll take my turn." He spun the bottle as best as he could so it would land on Pamela, but that didn't work out so well for him. 

The bottle landed on Alison, who gave John a concerned look. Keith cursed under his breath and gave Alison a soft peck on the lips. John gave him a sarcastic smile, which made Keith laugh sheepishly. "You know what? I think I should go again," Keith said. Before anyone could protest, he spun the bottle again. To everyone's surprise, it landed on Pamela.

"Um, Keith-" John started.

Before he could push him away or say anything, Keith crawled over to Pamela. He smiled before taking her face in both his hands and giving her a deep, passionate kiss on the lips. Pamela's eyes widened a bit, but to everyone's surprise, she didn't pull away. She kissed him back momentarily, pulling away before he could do anything else. "Whoa-" was all she could say. 

He chuckled and silenced her by kissing her again, making the kiss rougher this time. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, biting down gently on Pamela's bottom lip. Again, she didn't pull away, which was a surprise to everyone. John and Alison watched in shock while Pete was just staring off into space, unaware of what was happening. After a moment, Pamela pushed him away, looking at him in shock. 

"I should go, I don't think Pete's doing so well," she laughed awkwardly, standing up and helping Pete back to his feet. "Goodbye everyone, and thank you Alison and John for everything."

"You don't have to go," Alison told her with a frown, standing up. "Just stay a little bit longer?"

"No, that's alright. I have to work in the morning, anyways. Goodbye everyone!"

Before anyone could say anything else to change her mind, she was already out the door with Pete in her arms. She carefully put him in the passenger seat and quickly got into the driver seat, driving far away. She drew in a quick, shaky breath as she started driving home. 

Wow. What in the world just happened? How could one of her best friends kiss her like that? At least he was drunk, so that gave him a pretty good excuse. Hopefully no one would remember any of this in the morning. 

Except for her, because she was the only one who didn't drink at all that night.


	19. Chapter 19

A week later

The Who was getting ready to go on their tour the next day. Pamela's anxiety was growing higher and higher for a number of reasons. One of them was that as far as she knew, no one except for her remembered the kiss with Keith. If Pete remembered, he definitely would have said something to her about it. If John and Alison remembered, they would be giving her advice about how to tell Pete. And if Keith remembered, he would just be pretending that he didn't remember.

Another reason why she was increasingly apprehensive is because she knew that she was going to miss Pete so much. She didn't know what she was going to do not being able to see him for the rest of the year. Not just Pete, but everyone else in the band; especially Keith. Who else was she going to laugh and talk with? Sure, she would be able to talk with them on the phone after their shows. But she would only be able to talk to them when it was convenient for all of them. 

Finally, she was worried about dealing with Kim when Pete and Keith weren't around. Usually, Kim was nice to her as long as they were both around. Now, things were going to change, especially since Pamela had a feeling Kim knew about the kiss. Kim would barely talk to Pamela anymore, let alone maintain eye contact with her. She didn't know how, but she was guessing that Keith may have let it slip out when he was drunk. 

That night, Pamela went into the studio to pick up Pete after rehearsals. She saw Kim waiting by the door for Keith, looking through the door and refusing to look at Pamela. Pamela stood awkwardly across the hallway from her, waiting quietly. They both stayed like that for a few moments, clearly very tense. 

Pamela decided to speak up to lighten some of the tension. "How far along are you, Kim?" 

For the first time in at least two weeks, Kim looked straight at her. "Seven months," she answered flatly. 

Pamela smiled and nodded awkwardly. "Well, I'm happy for the both of you," she told her genuinely. Kim just nodded and went back to looking through the door. 

After what felt like a million, bajillion years, the boys started packing up all of their instruments. Pamela stepped inside the room after Kim, going straight to Pete. Without caring if he was too busy or not, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her. He chuckled and quickly hugged her back before going back to work. 

"What time do you leave tomorrow?" she asked him sadly. 

"Early in the morning," he answered, locking up his guitar case and picking it up, standing upright. "Would you mind giving me a ride to the airport tomorrow morning?" 

"Of course," she answered with a smile. Her smile quickly faded as she looked down at the ground. "How long are you going to be gone, again?"

"Until the end of December, love," he answered with another chuckle. His attitude changed once he saw the sad look on her face. "But don't worry, hopefully it'll go by fast for the both of us."

Pamela looked back up at him with another small smile. "Aw, you want to get back home to me that fast?" she teased him. 

"No, I just want to get away from them as fast as possible," he laughed, gesturing towards his bandmates. "I will miss you, though." 

"That's good at least," Pamela laughed. She looked back towards the rest of the band and saw that they were all standing in a circle talking with Kim. Keith looked away from them and gave Pamela a quick smile. It was still driving her crazy. She had to know if he still remembered. "Can you excuse me for a moment?"

Pete nodded and Pamela quickly made her way to the circle, standing by Keith. He looked right at her and smiled brightly. "Hi," she said, smiling back at him. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Keith quickly nodded and followed Pamela outside the hall. Kim watched the two closely as they left the room, then went back to talking to the rest of the group. However, Pamela didn't even care; she wasn't worried about Kim had to say at that moment. Once they were alone, she finally spoke up. "I just wanted to talk to you about.. you know.."

"About what?" Keith laughed, giving her a confused look. "Did I do something wrong?"

Thank god. "Oh. Never mind," she laughed, sighing in relief. "I don't know what I was saying. Anyways, I'm going to miss you so much." She pulled him into a hug, trying to pull away quickly. However, Keith held onto her so she couldn't break free right away. She giggled quietly and held him a bit tighter before pulling away. 

"I'm going to miss you too," Keith told her sweetly. "I'm going to miss having someone to mess around with."

"Aw, but you have John, don't you?" she teased, playfully hitting his arm. "You won't be all alone out there."

"Yeah, you're right, I guess," he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. He stayed quiet for a little bit, looking at her with a small smile. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stop her cheeks from growing bright pink. "I should get going now, Kim's probably wondering where I am."

Pamela nodded and went back in the studio with him, going right to Pete. She smiled at him and helped him carry some of his equipment. "I'm exhausted. Let's go home now," she told him. 

"Me too, honey. Me too," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and taking her outside.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Bright and early the next morning, Pete and Pamela drove to airport. They were both understandably tired, so the whole car ride was a bit quiet. While driving, Pamela did her best not to cry. She was too embarrassed to cry in front of Pete, who she knew would just tease her. Right when she thought it couldn't get any worse, the memory of the kiss came into her mind. 

She had to tell him. It was driving her crazy, gnawing at her and making her stomach do somersaults. She had to get it out somehow, otherwise she would feel guilty forever. And she couldn't wait until he was gone; that would be too petty. 

They made it to the airport and stepped out of the car. Once again, Pamela helped him carry his things inside. They met up with the rest of the band inside and went through the security process. Keith somehow was still bright and chipper, which was a surprise to no one. 

The whole time, Pamela's heart was pounding and her hands were shaking. As a result, she almost dropped Pete's things several times. Pete didn't really think anything of it; he just laughed and went back to what he was doing. 

Finally, they made it to the gate, which was as far as Pamela could go. "I guess this is it," Pete said, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Pamela told him. She hugged him back tighter than ever before, swaying back and forth with him. Finally, she stopped and stood back upright. She looked him in the eyes, her heart starting to pound again. "Pete, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" Pete asked her curiously. 

She drew a nervous, shaky breath before answering. "Remember that one night when we were with Keith, John and Alison? Never mind, you probably don't remember that. Well, we decided to play a game and.. Keith.. kissed me."

The color drained from Pete's face as he looked from her to Keith, who was waiting with Roger and John. Pamela bit her lip nervously, unsure of what was going to happen next. "Are you serious?" he asked her, his breath growing shakier. 

"Yes," Pamela admitted. "But trust me, I don't have feelings for him at all, I never wanted to do anything like that with him, I only have eyes for you."

"I trust you, it's Keith that I don't trust," Pete said bitterly. "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you at all. But I am going to kill Keith."

Pamela quickly grabbed his arm to stop him from moving in Keith's direction. A wave of guilt overcame her, making her hands shaky again. "Wait," she said, pulling him back to her. "You can't kill him before your tour's even started. You're going to be together for a long time, just try to get along? Please?"

"I just have to get something off my chest first," he told her, shaking her hands off of him and crossing to Keith. Before anyone could even process what was going on, Pete's arm was already swung back, ready to strike. 

"NO!" John and Roger exclaimed, pulling Pete back just in time. Pamela covered her mouth in shock, unsure of what to do. Keith just looked at Pete in confusion, while Pete pushed John and Roger off of him. He went to Keith again, but Pamela pulled him away before he could do anything. 

"No, please don't do this because of me," she begged him. "He didn't know any better, he was drunk." 

"That's no bloody excuse!" 

"Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on here?" Roger asked, looking at the couple in confusion. 

Everyone just stayed quiet for a moment, bitter tension in the air. "We need to get going," John told them all. "Pete, whatever it is that's got you upset, I'm sorry but you'll have to wait until we aren't in public to take it out on Keith. Come on, we're going to miss our flight."

Pete sighed angrily and nodded, walking away from all of them. He gave Pamela another hug, giving her a deep, long kiss on the lips so Keith would see. He pulled away and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much." 

"I love you more," Pamela told him. "Don't kill Keith, alright?"

"No promises." He gave her one last kiss on the lips before making his way back onto the plane. 

John and Roger both gave Pamela a big hug before they left, leaving her alone with Keith. They smiled awkwardly at each other before Keith pulled her into a hug. He gave her a long kiss on the cheek, just like the first day they met. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you too, Keith," she told him. "You're a great friend. I'm going to miss you."

Keith sighed. "I'm going to miss you too," he said, putting on a fake smile. He waved at her one last time before boarding the plane.


	20. Chapter 20

The next night, Pamela stayed up way too late as she waited by the phone. She sat on the bed, staring at the phone, waiting for what seemed like hours for it to ring. She didn't even doze off or close her eyes once. Eventually, she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, starting to doodle just to pass the time. Finally around 5 am, the phone rang, startling her. She threw the pen and paper across the room, picking up the handset, pressing it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hey, Pamela," a recognizable voice said through the phone. "It's Pete. We just got done with a show."

She smiled brightly as she heard his voice. It hadn't been too long since he left, but she already missed it so much. "Hi Pete," she said sweetly. "How did it go?"

"Surprisingly, not too bad," he answered with a chuckle. In the background, she heard lots of talking and random noises, as if someone was moving the whole room around. Pete groaned and Pamela heard him say, "Oi, can you guys shut your traps? I'm on the phone." 

Pamela couldn't help but giggle to herself as she heard the voices quiet down a tiny bit. However, she still heard the loud thumping and pounding. Pete just sighed as if he knew that was about as good as it was going to get. "Sorry about that, love," he told her sweetly. "How have you been doing?"

"I've been alright. I just really miss you," she told him sweetly. Then, she remembered the question she was waiting the whole day to ask him. "Hey, is everything going alright with Keith? I feel really bad about how everything went down at the airport-" 

"Oh, yeah, don't worry about it. I'm still really mad at him, but as long as he never tries anything like that, I'm fine," he reassured her. 

"Thank goodness," she told him, sighing in relief. There were a few moments of awkward silence; neither of them knew what they were supposed to say next. She opened her mouth to speak once again. "So-" However, she was cut off by a loud voice in the background.

"Keith, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Keith cackled loudly. 

Once again, Pamela couldn't stop herself from laughing. She only wished she knew what was going on, and she wished that she was there with her friends. "Oh my god," Pete sighed. "Listen, Pam, I've got to get going. Now's not really a good time. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Oh. Alright," she said, trying to hide her disappointment. "Call me when you can, alright?"

"Alright. I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

"Bye," he said, hanging up the phone. Pamela put her handset back down as well, laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. Well, that was better than not being able to talk to him at all, right? 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next day after work, Pamela decided to drive to the bank to see how her financial situation was. She patiently waited in line to talk to a credit counselor, picking her nails to pass the time. Much to the annoyance of the people in front of and behind her in the line, she rocked nervously back and forth. 

When it was finally her turn, she walked through the door of the counselor's office and sat down in front of the table. She looked around the room nervously as she waited for them to come in. For a long time, she had wanted to go back to school. She hated having nothing to do except for sell clothes and jewelry all day. Selling accessories obviously wasn't what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. 

Finally, a skinny old woman with red hair that was growing gray walked in. She smiled at Pamela before sitting down at the other side of the desk. "Hello there, Miss.." she started to say, fishing for a last name.

"Oh, it's Mrs. now actually," Pamela corrected. "Mrs. Townshend." She couldn't help but smile as she spoke. God, those two words never sounded so right.

"Right. Congratulations," the woman said with a smile. She unlocked a filing cabinet and pulled out a few folders, setting them on her desk. "So, what seems to be the trouble today?"

Pamela took a deep breath. "I want to go back to school, but I don't know if I have enough money. My parents said if I ran out of money, they weren't going to give me anymore. So I had to quit for a while and now I have a job, and I don't like it there very much. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice place to work, it's just not really my scene. Anyways, I've been there for a while and I'm just wondering if there's a chance I can go back this fall?" 

"Let's see," the old woman said, opening her files and taking a look. Pamela waited nervously as she watched her flip through the pages. She hoped that she didn't hear her heart pounding loudly and speedily. "It looks like you have enough money for one more semester, as long as you don't quit your job. You might have to still work part-time."

Suddenly, Pamela's eyes lit up and her heartbeat finally slowed down. "Really?" she asked her in disbelief.

"Yes. But don't go crazy and quit your job; that's a terrible idea!" the older woman begged her. 

Pamela stood up from her seat and ran her hands through her hair. She looked at the woman with wide eyes and laughed lightly. "I can't believe it! I might just quit my job out of happiness!"

"No!"

"Thank you so much, I really needed to hear this!" Before the counselor could say anything else to her, she rushed out the door. She spun around on the sidewalk before walking back to work with a spring in her step. She had never been this excited to go to work since she met Pete.


	21. Chapter 21

July 1966

Touring with your band can be a drag sometimes, that's for sure. In Pete's case, his bandmates were sometimes embarrassing to be with on and offstage and for some reason, whenever they performed, something just didn't sound right to him. He thought that the songs they wrote were at least decent, but sometimes their performances were just embarrassing. As a result, he was pretty much always in a bad mood. 

After most of their shows were over, the band usually went to small parties. Those parties were never really his scene for lots of reasons; everywhere he looked there was groupies, drugs and alcohol. As hard as he tried, he never understood what purpose groupies had. It wasn't like anything they did was really an accomplishment. The only reason why he felt accepted anymore was because he actually liked drinking alcohol. 

Although Roger, Keith and John were clearly having a good time, Pete would give everything he had to be anywhere else. He stood by himself in the back of the room, his back against the wall as he drank his beer in silence. At this point, he was exhausted from performing and the alcohol wasn't helping. Roger noticed him standing alone and left his friends and groupies to talk to him.

"What's going on?" Roger asked him. "You're acting really weird."

Pete scoffed as he took another sip from his bottle. "Roger, you know this isn't really my scene," he answered, looking around the room. He looked closer at him and noticed he wasn't holding a cigarette or even a drink. "Why aren't you off with Keith, trying all sorts of new drugs?"

Roger laughed. "Nice joke. You know I'm not into that sort of stuff."

"Oh, but you are into the groupies, aren't you?" Pete sassed him, sipping more of his drink. "Wonder what Jackie will have to say about that."

Roger rolled his eyes. "Great, more morality lessons from you," he remarked sarcastically. 

"Whatever," Pete snapped. "I'm just wondering what we're even doing here. Why we even go to these stupid parties after shows."

"Pete, you're a rockstar now. You're just going to have to deal with it."

"Just because I'm a rockstar doesn't mean I have to participate in all your sh-"

Their argument was interrupted when a sleazy young girl came to them and wrapped an arm around Roger. "Why'd you leave me like that?" she whined. Pete cringed and put a hand to his ear; her voice had an annoying high pitch at the end of each sentence. "Everything's so boring without you." 

Roger put on a fake smile as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Sorry about that, love. I'm just having a talk with my friend, here," he told her sweetly. 

The girl examined Pete closely, looking at him from his head to his toes in disapproval. Finally, she looked him right in the eyes and told him with a giggle, "You look like an undertaker." 

Pete's lips pressed into a thin line as he set his bottle down on a table next to him. "Right. Thanks," he scoffed, pushing past Roger to make his way to the door. On his way, John and Keith were both begging him to stay, but he flipped them off from behind as he pushed through the door. 

John and Keith both gave each other confused looks as Roger rejoined them. Roger just shook his head at both of them and went back to talking with his girl for the night. The girl sitting on Keith's lap gave him a confused look, as well. "What was that all about?" she asked him.

"Who cares?" Keith laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer, if possible. She giggled as he looked deep in her eyes, playing with some of her long, brown hair. "You know, you look like someone I know back home." 

"Really? Who's that?" she asked him.

"Her name's Pamela," he answered, sighing happily. He stared off into space as he started reminiscing the memories he had with her. "She's just beautiful. And smart, a-"

The girl quickly interrupted his trance, glaring at him. "What is she, your wife or something?" 

"I wish," Keith said with another sigh. "She's married to Pete, but that's a story for another time."

The girl rolled her eyes as she started stroking some of Keith's hair, getting closer to him once again. "Well, if she's not married to you, then what's the point in hanging on to her?" she asked him with a smirk. She leaned in to kiss his lips, but was interrupted when he spoke again. 

"I don't know, that's the thing. Something about her is so different from any other girl I've met. She never, ever makes fun of me and she goes along with every crazy thing I do."

When she decided that she had finally had enough, the girl pulled away from him and got off his lap. "Alright, nice to meet you," she said bitterly, heading towards the exit. 

"Wait!" Keith exclaimed, grabbing her hand to stop her. She turned her head back and looked at him with a scowl. He laughed nervously as he brought her closer to him once again. "I'm sorry, I won't talk about her anymore."

She sighed, starting to swallow her pride. "Promise?" she asked him.

"Promise."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Back at home, Pamela was getting everything ready for when she had to go back to school in September. She could hardly wait for autumn to come; she was so ready to get closer to finally gaining the career she actually wanted. She only wished that Pete was there to celebrate with her. She hadn't even had a chance to tell him the news yet; they've both been so busy.

There was a quiet knock at the door, which startled Pamela. She put all her school books away and opened the front door. Kim was waiting patiently, wearing the same familiar baggy clothes to hide her pregnancy. It was getting more difficult for her; she only had about a week left before she was supposed to give birth.

The sight of her still startled Pamela, although she didn't know why. Sure, Kim was a bit prickly, but it wasn't like she was a threat. "Hey, Kim," she greeted her with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"I just needed to talk to you about something," Kim answered. "Can I come in?" 

"Of course you can," Pamela answered, opening the door wider for her. Kim stepped in and Pamela led her to the couch. Kim quickly took off her large coat, which was making her feel a lot more sick due to the hot weather. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, you know," Kim laughed quietly. "Sick and tired all the time."

Pamela nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine what it must feel like."

Kim just shrugged her shoulders. "It's just a part of life, I guess. Do you think you and Pete are going to have kids?"

She thought for a moment before answering. They had never talked, or even thought about having kids before. 'They just never got around to it,' was a common excuse the two of them used. "I don't really know," she finally answered. "Probably not right now."

Kim nodded. "That's probably a good idea," she muttered, her soft voice still audible.

"What do you mean by that?" Pamela asked her curiously. 

"It just seems like things are a little bit complicated for the two of you right now," Kim told her. 

Pamela furrowed her eyebrows. "What- I think everything's just fine between us. As far as I've heard; Pete hasn't told me he has any problems with me." She laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood a bit. 

"Maybe he hasn't told you because he doesn't know what's really going on with you," Kim suggested. "Like with you and Keith, for example."

Pamela looked at Kim curiously for a moment before realizing what she meant. She laughed again, shaking her head. "Oh, I get it. You think that me and Keith are...no. That's not possible."

Kim was not amused, she just looked at Pamela like she knew she was hiding something. "Really? That's not what I'm getting from Keith."

"And what exactly are you 'getting' from Keith?" Pamela asked, her voice growing increasingly bitter.

"Like I've told you several times, he talks about you all the time. He really cares about you."

"I doubt that," Pamela told her with a laugh. "We're just good friends, that's all."


	22. Chapter 22

The next week, Pamela was working harder at the shop than ever. She decided to take up more hours, just in case she needed anymore money for school in September. As a result, she was working very hard, coming in early and staying late. Although Cheryl wasn't working as often as she was, they still saw each other a lot and talked. Normally, their conversations went well. Except for one day.

Pamela was minding her own business, taking care of a customer at the front desk. Cheryl was still pretty close to the two, sorting through the jewelry and putting them into small packages. Pamela noticed an old, worn down guitar case at the young boy's feet. She smiled at him. "Are you a musician?" she asked.

"Yeah," the boy answered with a smile. "Well, I want to be. My friends and I are thinking about starting up a band." 

Once again, Pamela gave him a bright smile. "How cool is that? You know, my husband's in a band."

The boy gave her a shy smile. "Really? Which band?"

"It's called The Who," she answered proudly. "It's the best band ever."

"I think I've heard of them, actually!" the boy exclaimed. "Does the guitarist break his guitar after every show?"

"Yes! That's my husband!" She couldn't stop smiling as her eyes shined.

"Wow! I'd love to see one of their gigs one of these days. I've never been able to see them; I've only heard about how much energy and drive they have onstage." He looked down as he spoke, a hit of disappointment in his voice. 

Pamela nodded. "Well, maybe once my husband gets back from his tour, we can talk about getting you a ticket."

He looked back up at her with a bright smile. "That would be great! Thank you."

"Anytime." The boy gave her one last smile before taking all of his things and walking out the door. She leaned on the counter, resting her head in her hands and sighing quietly. It was moments like those that made her really, really miss Pete.

Suddenly, Cheryl came to her, leaning on the counter and looking at her with a blank expression. Pamela took a quiet but deep breath; she already knew what was coming. "What's up, Cheryl?" she asked nonchalantly. 

"You guys are married now?" she asked her with an extremely fake smile. Just the tone of her voice alone made Pamela roll her eyes.

"Yes, we are," she answered. "What about it?"

Cheryl scoffed, unsure why she was even asking such a ridiculous question. "What about it?" she repeated in a mocking tone. "What about it? You'd think you'd tell your best friend something like that, but apparently not."

Pamela looked at her with a frown. "What are you talking about? I did tell you."

"No you didn't," Cheryl argued, raising her voice. "I'm pretty sure I would have remembered if you did."

Pamela froze, unsure of what to say next. Cheryl was right. Somehow she forgot to tell her best friend in the whole world some of the most important news in her life. How was that even possible? "I'm sorry-"

"No," Cheryl interrupted angrily. "I can't do this with you anymore."

"Do what?" Pamela asked with a scoff. "Come on, its not like-"

"You know what, stop. Just stop it. I've had enough of your bullshit."

Pamela's eyes widened. "My bullshit?" She scoffed and started laughing out loud. "Please." 

"Yes, yes, your bullshit." Cheryl snapped.

Pamela opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the bell at the door, signaling that a new customer had just entered the store. She turned to see Alison and Jackie running to the front desk, both of them struggling to catch their breath. "What's going on?" Pamela asked them with a laugh. 

"Ella, the baby's finally here," Jackie answered. "We're going to the hospital right now. You should come with us!"

"Please?" Alison begged, holding onto Pamela's hand. 

She hesitated before answering. Normally, she would be more than happy to spend more time with Jackie and Alison. However, it was complicated for obvious reasons. "I don't really know, girls," she answered with a sigh. "Kim doesn't like me very much, and I still have so much work to do here."

"Oh come on, please?" Jackie begged her. "Keith would have wanted you to be there."

"But Keith's not here," Pamela remarked with a sigh. "It won't be the same without him."

"He'll be there in spirit, won't he?" Alison suggested. "Come on, we never get to spend time with you anymore."

Pamela sighed, finally giving in. "Fine. I'll go with you." 

Both of her friends cheered as they linked arms with her, taking her outside to the car. Pamela turned her head back to look at her friend, giving her a look that said something along the lines of "we're not finished." Left alone, Cheryl was still fuming. 

☆☆☆

At the hospital, the girls were led to a room near the back of the building. Once they stepped in, they saw Kim holding her newborn in her arms, doing her best not to fall asleep. She looked absolutely exhausted, but still beautiful. "Hello girls," she greeted her friends with a smile. 

"Hi Kimmy," Jackie said, sitting in a chair next to her. Alison and Pamela both followed suit, sitting close to the both of them. "Who's this little angel?"

"Amanda," Kim answered with a smile. 

All three of her visitors smiled brightly. "What a lovely name," Alison said to her. "And she looks just like you!" 

Kim smiled brightly at her new daughter. "She does, doesn't she?" 

"She has Keith's eyes, though," Jackie remarked. Pamela didn't want to say anything to make Kim even more suspicious, so she just nodded in agreement. "Those lovely, brown eyes."

Pamela stared down at the floor for a while, unsure of what to say or do. Kim obviously liked Alison and Jackie a lot better than her. After all, they weren't the girls that she suspected of having an affair with her husband. She immediately regretted taking the girls' advice and coming with them. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Italy 

Pete and Roger were doing their best to relax in the hotel room after their last show. It was difficult getting away from the fans that time since they liked to cluster around the band in their large numbers, giving them as little room to breathe as possible. It was annoying as hell, not to mention frightening at times.

Thankfully, the awful moment was over and they were finally able to have the night to themselves. Pete figured it was a perfect moment to call home, so he picked up the phone and began to dial his number. Roger, who heard the rotary dial spinning around, groaned in annoyance.

"Pete, can't it wait until tomorrow, mate?" he asked desperately.

"No," Pete answered flatly, continuing to dial. He waited for a moment, listening to the dial tone before someone finally answered.

"Hello?" a quiet voice asked.

"Hey Pam," Pete said with a smile. 

Pamela immediately smiled back, her voice already sounding more energetic. "Hi sweetheart. How are you tonight?"

"Absolutely knackered. And you?"

"Absolutely knackered," Pamela answered with a laugh. "I'm so glad you called me, though."

Pete rolled his eyes as Roger dramatically grabbed a pillow, holding it over his ear to block out the noise. He started speaking louder just to annoy him even more. "I'm glad I called you too. We don't talk as much anymore."

"No we don't," Pamela laughed. "That reminds me, Kim gave birth today!"

Pete's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" Before Pamela could respond, the door to the hotel room swung open. Keith came in and jumped onto Pete's bed grabbing his arm. 

"Hide me," he begged him. 

"Keith, shut up, I'm talking to Pamela."

"Pamela?" he asked as his eyes lit up. He grabbed the phone from Pete, bringing it to his ear. Pete tried in vain to grab it back from him with a huff. "Hi Pam!"

Pamela laughed quietly. "Keith is that you? How are you?"

"I'm doing great, thanks for asking!" he answered, swatting Pete's hands away. 

"That's great! Listen, I think you should know Kim gave birth to your daughter today." 

The color suddenly drained from Keith's face as he relaxed his hands, making Pete furrow his eyebrows. Suddenly, his heart started pounding. "Keith?" Pamela asked him. 

Before he could snap out of his trance, there was a loud knock at the door. Roger groaned dramatically and grabbed yet another pillow to put on top of his head. Pete rolled his eyes and the door swung open, making Keith yelp. 

A tall, strong man in a dark, pinstripe suit stood with his arms folded, glaring at Keith. Keith chuckled nervously, still clutching onto the phone. "Keith, is everything alright?" Pamela asked through the phone. 

"All of you, out of this hotel. Right now," the old man demanded. "Now, or else I will call the police!" 

Pete stared at Keith in shock. "Keith, what the hell did you do this time?"

"Nothing! You've got the wrong guy," Keith answered, still laughing nervously. 

"Nice try," the old man scoffed. "You ruined all the furniture in one of our best suites! Now get out!"

"Gotta go, Pam," Keith said into the transmitter. "Love you." 

Before he could hang up, Pete grabbed the handset from him and put it to his ear. "Love you, sweetheart," he said to Pam. 

"I love you too," she said before he hung up. Roger had already gotten all of his things ready, and Keith was nervously waiting for both of his friends. 

"Chop chop!" the old man yelled.

"Oi, shove off, will ya?" Pete snapped at him, making Keith laugh. He sighed angrily as he started cleaning up all of his belongings. Well, it was better than not being able to talk to her at all, right?


	23. Chapter 23

September 1966 

Summer passed by faster than any other summer Pamela had ever experienced. Although she was grateful because it meant she could finally start school again, she missed the warm weather. However, she continued to look on the bright side of things; it meant that Pete's homecoming was getting closer and closer.

The days seemed to go by a lot slower since she was busy all the time. She had two classes at university everyday, and then after that she had to work at the store until it closed. She was constantly keeping herself busy and almost always tired. At least she had something to keep her mind off of Pete.

Going to class everyday made her realize how much she missed school. How much she missed learning and studying for exams and seeing all of her close friends. Most of all, she missed the feeling that she was finally going to get a life of her own someday and make an impact on the world. 

Late one night, she was laying in bed, trying to fall asleep after a long day. Her eyes grew heavy as she slowly started to drift off into sleep. Suddenly, the phone rang, making her jump as her heart raced. "Hello?" she answered quietly, wiping her forehead. 

"Hey sweetheart," Pete said to her with a smile. "How have you been?"

Pamela smiled as she shifted around on the bed to get more comfortable. This was the first time she had spoken to Pete in a while and she wanted it to last. "I've been alright, just so tired," she answered, rubbing her eyes. "And you, my love?" 

"Alright, just getting tired of dealing with my bandmates' shit," Pete answered without skipping a beat.

Pamela chuckled quietly and soon realized it was getting harder to keep her eyes open. "I'm sorry about that, love," she told him sleepily. "Hey, only two more months right?"

"Thank goodness for that," Pete chuckled again. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. He too, was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "They can't go by any faster."

"Mmmm," Pamela said, slowly closing her eyes. She desperately wanted to keep talking to him, but she was still so exhausted. "I can't wait to cuddle with you."

Pete laughed, making her jump again. "Tell me more. How is everything at home? How's the store?"

Pamela fluttered her eyelashes, trying to keep them from drooping. "I forgot to tell you I'm back in school now," she answered. 

"Really? That's great," Pete said, trying not to sound too tired. He was exhausted after their last show, as well, but he still made the time to try to reach out to her. "I'm really happy for you."

"Mmm," Pamela hummed, closing her eyes. Everything started to go black as she began to fall asleep before Pete spoke up again. 

"Pamela, darling, are you falling asleep?" he asked her with a laugh. 

Pamela opened her eyes again. "What? Sorry, I've been really tired and busy lately."

"So that's why you've been missing most of my calls," Pete said. 

Suddenly, Pamela's heart felt as if it had dropped down to her stomach. A wave of guilt rushed over her. "What?" she asked him sadly. "You've been trying to call me?"

"Yeah," Pete admitted with a sigh. "Don't worry about it. I guess we're just a little... out of sync."

"I guess so," Pamela replied sadly. She sighed heavily. "What time is it there?"

"Er.. one a.m. And you?"

Pamela looked over at the clock and groaned. "Midnight."

Pete laughed once again as Pamela sighed sadly. "You'd think we'd be more in sync, since I'm only one hour ahead of you. Oh well." Pamela stayed quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. All she wanted was to be there with him, holding him close. "Well... I guess its time for us to go to bed now."

"I guess so."

"I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too, darling." The last thing Pamela heard before falling asleep was the quiet, repetitive dial tone signaling that he had hung up the phone. 

☆☆☆

"Come on Pete, will you please come with us?" Keith begged him. Pete groaned in annoyance; after the awful phone call with Pamela, he decided to get some sleep. However, not two hours later, Keith pounded on his door as if the whole hotel was on fire. "You look like you need some stress relief."

"Your 'stress relief' is just going to end up giving me more stress," Pete groaned as he rolled his eyes.

Keith furrowed his eyebrows, giving him a goofy, shocked expression. "What are you talking about?" he asked him, almost sounding offended. "It's going to be so much fun. There's drugs, sex, meeting new people, sex, hanging out with your friends, s-"

"Shut up, I'm not in the mood for having sex," Pete interrupted, shifting around to turn his back on Keith. "I'm not like the rest of you tossers."

"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that, mate," Keith said, ripping the blankets off of Pete. "Now get your best suit on, we're going out."

Pete glared at Keith and grabbed the blankets back from him, covering himself again. "No." He turned around to lay on his stomach, looking away from Keith. 

Keith shook his head as he sat down next to Pete. "You really don't miss having sex with Pamela?" he asked, looking at him in disapproval. "Wow, Pete. Some husband you are."

Absolutely mortified, Pete turned to look Keith right in the eyes. "Some husband I am? Some husband you are, running around with every groupie you can find. Some of us actually have some common sense."

Keith just rolled his eyes. "Now I see why you make Roger crazy," he muttered, standing up.

At that point, Pete was furious. "You guys make me crazy!" he snapped. "I'm the one that's actually trying to be faithful to my wife!"

"Well, good for you, Townshend," Keith complimented sarcastically. He made his way to the front door, sighing dramatically. "Alright, your loss. Goodnight, mate."

"Piss off," Pete groaned, staring at the ceiling. Sometimes, he just felt utterly and completely different from his bandmates. He was finding it so difficult to fit in with them and talk to them most of the time. And not only that, but he felt as if he was losing the connection he had with the love of his life. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"I don't mind other guys dancing with my girl. That's fine, I know them all pretty well. But I know sometimes I must get out in the light. Better leave her behind with the kids, they're alright. The kids are alright."

Pete and Roger danced around in their places on stage while John stood still, playing his bass with a blank expression on his face. As usual, Keith was a maniac on the drums, adding more rythm than the song needed. Not that the audience was complaining; in fact, they seemed to be enjoying the show. What a surprise, Pete thought.

"Sometimes, I feel I gotta get away. Bells chime, I know I gotta get away. And I know if I don't, I'll go out of my mind. Better leave her behind with the kids, they're alright. The kids are alright."

Pete was surprised about how well the show was going that night. He thought they actually sounded a lot better than usual, they had a sufficient amount of energy, and no one in the audience had thrown anything at them. Nothing had gone wrong at all. Yet. 

Once the song was over, the audience clapped and cheered for them, to which they nodded their heads in gratitude. Keith took another mouthful of the drink that he snuck onstage behind his drum kit. As he poured it into his mouth, some of it got all over his face, as well. Placing his head back upright, he spit some of it out of his mouth, making the audience laugh. 

Pete and Roger turned back to look at Keith and furrowed their eyebrows. When they saw the empty cup in Keith's hand, he laughed sheepishly and tossed it over his shoulder. "Hey guys," he said, covering the microphone so the audience wouldn't hear them.

"We saw that," Pete said, grumbling and tuning his guitar again. 

"If I catch you with another drink, I swear to god-" Roger started.

"You'll what? Hit me like you did last year?" Keith taunted, raising his fists and punching the air.

"Both of you shut up right now," John said through his teeth, giving the audience a fake smile as he tuned his bass guitar. "We're still onstage."

"Lord give me strength," Pete muttered, strumming his guitar loudly to make sure it was in tune. Once he was done, he spoke up louder into the microphone. "This one's called My Generation." He started playing the riff on his guitar as the audience cheered.

Then, Roger began to sing with John and Pete harmonizing along. "People try to put us d-down just because we get around. Things they do look awful c-c-cold. I hope I die before I get old."

It was at that point in the show when Keith was starting to lose it. He was barely able to concentrate on his drumming; his mind kept drifting from one thing to another. He also had a hard time coordinating both of his hands with his feet. Pete clenched his teeth as he continued to play at the best of his ability. 

"Why don't you all f-fade away. Don't try to dig what we all s-s-s-say. I'm not trying to 'cause a big s-s-sensation. I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation."

The audience was starting to get bored with them since it appeared that Keith was getting bored, as well. When the song finally ended, there was scattered applause, making Pete cringe. Doing his best to lighten up the situation, he swung the guitar off his shoulder and smashed it into the floor over and over again. 

Just then, Keith's drums became smoky, surprisingly smokier then usual. No one thought anything of it as they kept doing whatever it was that they were doing. He knocked some of the drums off of his platform, or did his best to. 

As if the deafening noises from Pete's guitar couldn't get any worse, Keith's drums exploded, sending a shocking, frightening boom across the whole theater. Pete, who was right next to his drums, dropped his guitar and clamped his hands over his ears. John and Roger looked at Keith and Pete with wide eyes.

"OH MY G-" someone shouted from offstage. Whoever it was was interrupted by another loud boom from the drums, making Keith cover his ears that time. 

Once the explosions were finally relaxed, the band made a run for it and jogged backstage. "WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?" Pete asked loudly, still covering his ears.

"Keith, what did you put in your drums?" John asked in disbelief. 

"Just some gunpowder," he answered casually. "I put it in my drums all the time."

Roger's jaw dropped. "How much did you put in that time?"

"KEITH, WHAT THE HELL WAS IN YOUR DRUMS?" Pete asked, his voice still raised.

"I already said-" Keith started. Oh no. "GUYS, PETE'S HEARING IS FUCKED."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //DUN DUN DUN 
> 
> Also just clarifying Pete is not deaf.
> 
> Yet.


	24. Chapter 24

"Good news: your hearing is not permanently damaged."

"Thank god," Pete sighed in relief, rubbing the back of his neck. He decided to take a quick trip to the doctor to make sure nothing too bad had happened to his ears. He got worried when it was getting hard to fall asleep due to the constant ringing in his ears. Unfortunately for him, Keith begged him to let him come along. Pete only let him so he could stop whining. 

"Yes, thank god indeed," the doctor said. "However, I would advise you to be a little more cautious."

Keith stared at Pete as if he was some sort of science experiment. Pete just glared at him and looked away. "Cautious? How so?" he asked the doctor skeptically. 

"Well, maybe you should stop breaking your guitar after every show," the doctor suggested, shrugging his shoulders. He looked directly at Keith. "Also, you should stop putting that stuff in your drums. You'll give someone a heart attack one of these days."

"Where's the fun in that?" Keith asked with a groan. He looked back at Pete and snapped his fingers right next to his ear, making sure he could still hear. Pete rolled his eyes and slapped his hand away. 

"That's part of the show," Pete defended. "We can't just stop doing that; it gives the audience something to look forward to." 

The doctor sighed. "Then I suggest you quit the band," he said quietly.

Pete furrowed his eyebrows, hoping to heaven he was joking. Even Keith widened his eyes in shock. "Are you serious?" he asked him in disbelief.

"Of course not!" the doctor exclaimed with a laugh. Once again, Pete sighed both in relief and annoyance. Keith cackled along with him, making Pete roll his eyes. "Just stop with all the theatrics."

"No can do," Pete said, standing up from his seat. "Thanks for the help. Come on, Keith."

The doctor sighed and shook his head as the two left the office. They both stepped into the taxi that was waiting for them. "What's Kit going to say?" Keith asked him, giving him a worried look. 

"Who cares?" Pete asked, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. At least I haven't gone deaf."

"Yet," Keith laughed.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Pamela was studying at home on her day off when she heard a knock at the door. She sighed as she stood up from her comfortable spot and the couch and answered the door. Cheryl stood on the porch with her arms folded, looking a bit indisposed. Nevertheless, Pamela greeted her with a brief smile. 

"Hey Cheryl," she greeted her friend quietly. "Do you want to come inside?"

Cheryl nodded and stepped inside the flat, looking around while taking a deep breath. She had a blank expression on her face and it took her a few moments to finally make eye contact with Pamela. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry," she finally admitted. "I never should've gotten mad at you."

Pamela quickly shook her head. "No. You had a right to be mad," she defended. "I should have told you. I am a terrible friend sometimes."

"I am too," Cheryl laughed lightly before giving her a quick smile. "I didn't mean what I said. I'm not tired of dealing with you; in fact, I miss talking to you about everything."

"I miss talking to you too." Neither of the girls said a word for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then, Pamela wrapped her arms around Cheryl and hugged her tightly. Shocked at first, Cheryl hugged her back, holding her close. Then, they both pulled away and smiled at each other again. "Do you want to hang out and catch up?"

Cheryl nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I'd like that very much."

Pamela smiled at her before cleaning all of her books, papers, and pens off of the couch and throwing them on the floor. Cheryl chuckled as she sat down. "You've been working pretty hard," she noticed.

"Yeah," Pamela sighed, sitting next to her. She wiped her forehead, trying to stop an oncoming headache. "It's been crazy, working, studying and going to school. I've missed it, though. I really enjoy it."

"At least you're happy," Cheryl told her. "How does being back at school feel?"

Pamela smiled and sighed happily. "It feels amazing. I feel like I'm actually going to be making a difference in the world. That sounds cheesy, doesn't it?" She laughed softly, along with Cheryl.

"I don't think it does," Cheryl comforted her. 

"Thank goodness," Pamela chuckled, rubbing her temples. "Now enough about me, how are you?" 

Cheryl shrugged her shoulders with a sigh. "I'm alright, I guess," she answered. "Nothing too exciting's been happening lately."

"Still single?" Pamela asked curiously.

"Don't rub it in!" Cheryl laughed.

"Sorry," Pamela laughed, her cheeks growing pink. "I hope you find someone great for you soon."

Cheryl sighed heavily as she stared out into space. "I hope so too. It's been really lonely lately."

"You will, I promise," Pamela comforted her, giving her a quick smile. She rested her elbow on the arm of the couch and rubbing the back of her own head, trying to get rid of her headache. It was growing stronger by the second, making her groan. 

Cheryl snapped out of her trance and gave her a concerned look. "Is everything alright?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I just have this awful headache," Pamela sighed. She stood up and looked through the drawers of her desk. She turned back to Cheryl and groaned quietly. "We're out of aspirin. I'm going to go to the drug store and pick some up. I'll be back soon."

"Do you want me to leave? Or come with you?" Cheryl offered.

"No, you can stay here," Pamela answered, picking up her jacket and car keys. "I'll only be a few minutes. Just make yourself at home, alright?"

Cheryl nodded as she watched her leave the flat, leaving her alone in silence. She sighed heavily as she got more comfortable on the couch, picking at her nails. She hummed quietly mainly to pass the time and to fill in the silence. She was getting close to falling asleep until she heard the phone ring. 

Since she had nothing better to do, she decided to answer it. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hello? I think I have the wrong number," a familiar voice said into the phone. Cheryl immediately recognized it; it was Pete's voice. 

"No you don't," Cheryl chuckled. "This is Cheryl. Hi Pete."

Pete furrowed his eyebrows and frowned a bit. "Oh. Cheryl?" he asked in surprise. "What are you doing there? Where's Pam?"

"She's at the drug store; she needed some aspirin," Cheryl answered with another chuckle. "Luckily I came over to talk to her; I might have missed you."

Pete chuckled and let out a small sigh. "Yeah, we haven't talked since I left. How have you been?"

"I've been alright, just pretty bored and lonely lately. So nothing new, I guess."

"Sorry about that. I've been there, it's terrible."

Cheryl shrugged her shoulders. "It is what it is, I guess. Enough about me, how are you? How's the tour going?"

Pete sighed heavily. "Not so well. I thought I went deaf the other night, so that's great." He chuckled sarcastically, making Cheryl laugh.

"Let me guess, it's because you smashed your damn guitar on the floor again, isn't it?" she asked, rolling her eyes playfully.

"No, actually," Pete answered flatly. He chuckled lightly. "It's because our drummer put a shit-ton of gun powder in his drum kit and they exploded."

Cheryl's eyes widened as she gasped softly. "Oh my god, are you guys alright?"

"Wow, I didn't think you'd care," Pete laughed. "And yes, we're fine."

Against her wishes, her cheeks grew red. "Um.. I don't care," Cheryl replied flatly. "I mean.. I do care, just.. I don't know."

"Don't worry, I get it," Pete said. "Who would have thought you had a soft spot for me?"

Once again, Cheryl rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Townshend," she teased him. "You just happen to be married to one of my best friends, so of course I have to care about you."

"Mhm," Pete said with a small laugh, clearly unconvinced. "I guess I have to care about you too." They both chuckled as they stayed quiet for a moment. "You know what's weird? Pam and I haven't had a conversation this long in quite a while." 

"Really? Why's that?"

Pete let out another heavy sigh. "I don't know, we just have been a little bit off ever since I left. Our conversations never last long; they're always interrupted. Even before I left it was hard talking to her."

Cheryl nodded. "I'm so sorry about that, Pete. Hopefully you guys will be able to communicate better with each other."

"Sometimes it feels like she's so out of reach, you know?"

"Yeah, I understand that," she answered with a sigh. "I'm sorry. If you ever need me, you can always call me, alright?"

"Thanks, Cheryl. Same for you."

"Of course." They both stayed quiet again, unsure of what to say next. 

"I should get going now; we're getting ready for another gig right now. It was good talking to you again."

"It was good to talk to you again, too. Bye Pete."

"Bye." 

They both hung up at the same time, and not two seconds later, Pamela walked in. "Hey Cheryl," she greeted. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //and now we're starting to understand why the story is called what it is 🙃


	25. Chapter 25

December 1966

Late one night, Pamela and Cheryl were sitting down at the airport, waiting for the band to arrive. Pamela could hardly sit still for two minutes at a time, jumping up from her seat and pacing the floor. Cheryl watched her nervously as she played with the tassels on her purse to pass the time. 

Pamela couldn't stop smiling as her heart was pounding and pounding nearly out of her chest. She sat back down next to Cheryl, taking deep breaths in and out to try to relax. Cheryl reached over and held her hand. "Calm down, Pamela," she laughed. "It's going to be the same old Pete we know and love that walks through the door. He'll be happy to see you."

"I know," Pamela sighed, wringing her hands anxiously. "I'm still just so nervous. We haven't seen each other in a while; what if he realizes I'm ugly or something? Or what if-"

"Hey, don't say that," Cheryl said, rubbing her back comfortingly. "You're so beautiful and Pete loves you just the way you are."

Pamela resumed taking her deep breaths in and out. "You're right. What was I thinking?" She laughed along with Cheryl as they both leaned back in their seats. Cheryl went back to braiding the strands of the tassels on her purse, sighing to herself. Pamela looked around at their surroundings, trying to spot him. "They should be getting in soon." 

After a few more minutes, the four musicians were spotted walking into their direction. Pamela gasped as she jumped up from her seat, running to Pete as fast as she could. He almost dropped his luggage as she jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist. He chuckled as he set his things down and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. 

"I missed you so much!" they said at the same time. They both chuckled and Pamela kissed his lips deeply, running her hands through his hair. She pulled away from him as she heard someone cough, then turned to see Keith with his arms folded. Her eyes lit up as she wrapped her arms around him, too. 

"Keith!" she exclaimed, swaying back and forth with him. "It's so good to see you again."

"It's so good to see you too!" he exclaimed, giving her a long-lasting kiss on the cheek. She giggled and pulled away from him, smiling at him. "God, I've missed you so much."

Her cheeks grew red as she shook her head, playfully hitting his arm. "You should be happy to see Kim! Where is she at?"

"Actually, I told her I'm staying at John's tonight," he answered, his smile quickly fading. "Did she really have the baby?" 

Pamela nodded and smiled brightly at him. "She's beautiful, Keith. She looks just like you." She giggled as his cheeks grew red, pulling him along with her to talk to the rest of the band.

Once Cheryl finished her introductions with Roger and John, she went to Pete and looked at him up and down skeptically. His eyes narrowed as he folded his arms, making her chuckle quietly. "Glad to see you back in one piece," she teased him. 

"Good to see you too, Cheryl," Pete chuckled. "I'm surprised you came."

Looking over at Pamela talking with the rest of the band, Cheryl sighed quietly. "So am I, to tell the truth," she laughed, looking back at Pete with a raised eyebrow. "Why, is someone happy to see me?"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Pete teased, making Cheryl laugh. They both stayed quiet for a moment, just looking at each other with small smiles. "No, I'm glad you're here."

They both shook hands, breaking eye contact for a moment. Suddenly, Cheryl laughed quietly and pulled her hand away, hugging him softly. To both Cheryl and Petes' surprise, he wasn't repulsed. In fact, he hugged her back for a moment before she pulled away, brushing some hair out of her eyes.

Suddenly, Pamela came up to the two of them, wrapping her arm around Pete's waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, looking at him sweetly. "Ready to go home?" she asked him. 

"Yes please," Pete answered without hesitation. "Cheryl, are you coming with us?"

"Yeah, but Pam's driving me right home," Cheryl answered. Pete nodded as they waved goodbye to the rest of the band, walking out of the airport. Pamela wouldn't let go of Pete no matter what, even when he tossed all of his luggage into the trunk. Cheryl noticed and laughed. "Do you guys want me to drive?" 

"No, you don't have to do that," Pete answered. Pamela giggled as she stepped into the car on the drivers side. Soon enough, Pete and Cheryl followed suit. 

It was hard for Pamela to concentrate on driving; the whole time she was moving her other hand around to stroke his hair, hold his hand and kiss it, and rub his thigh. He chuckled and shook his head as he kissed her cheek. In the backseat, Cheryl was getting more annoyed by the second. "Pam, you're going to kill us all," she complained.

"I'm being careful," she said, turning her head to give Pete a quick kiss on the cheek. While still driving! 

Cheryl shifted uncomfortably in her seat, furrowing her eyebrows. "Oh, no you're not," she scolded her. 

Pamela giggled and blushed as she leaned into Pete again, giving him a quick kiss on the lips that time. Pete chuckled again and turned her head so it was facing straightforward. "The road's over there," he told her with a laugh. 

Much to Cheryl's relief, Pamela drove facing straightforward the entire time. As she pulled into Cheryl's driveway, she jumped out of the car like a bat out of hell. "Thanks for the ride," she said before shutting the door and running inside. Pamela looked over at Pete and snickered, making him laugh as well. She leaned in and kissed his lips deeply, cupping his cheek in her hand. 

He pulled away after a moment. "At home, Pam." 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Once they were finally home, Pete went straight to the bedroom to put his things away. Pamela went to the kitchen and started boiling some water in a kettle while waiting for him. She leaned against the counter and smiled to herself. Her man was finally back home and she couldn't be happier. 

When he was finally done unpacking, he came to the kitchen and stood next to Pamela. She looked at him with bright eyes and went closer to him, resting her hands on his shoulders. He rested his hands on her waist and kissed her softly. Getting lost in the moment, she deepened the kiss as she ran her hands through his hair. She backed him up against the counter, making him chuckle against her lips.

Just then, the kettle started whistling, signaling that the water was done boiling. Pamela pulled away from him and giggled, getting two cups of tea for the both of them. She gave him his mug and held his other hand, leading him to sit with her at the table. He sat down and quietly took a sip of his drink, sighing quietly. 

"So, tell me all about it," Pamela said with a smile. "How was it?"

Pete shrugged his shoulders, taking another sip. "It was alright. Really long."

"Just alright?" she asked him, drinking some of her tea. 

"Yeah, I guess. Remember when we thought I went deaf?"

"How could I forget?" Pamela laughed.

Pete chuckled dryly and shook his head. "Luckily nothing too bad happened." They both nodded and stayed silent for a moment, drinking some more of their tea. Pete finally cleared his throat and spoke up. "What's been going on with you?" 

"Just been keeping busy with school and work," Pamela answered. "Missing you."

Pete gave her a quick smile before kissing her forehead and taking his mug back to the sink. Pamela soon followed suit and they both made their way to the bedroom. Pete changed into some sweatpants and a T-shirt before plopping down on the bed, sighing deeply. Pamela smiled as she changed into one of his shirts, which was like a short dress on her. 

She laid down and wrapped an arm around him, kissing his lips again. He touched some of her hair as he kissed her back slowly, closing his eyes. Before she could get too carried away again, he pulled away and chuckled. "I'm really tired, love," he told her.

"Me too," she sighed, laying next to him and holding him close. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against hers.

"Goodnight, Pam, I love you."

"Love you too."

☆☆☆

Back at John's house, Keith was sitting alone on the kitchen counter, drinking an ice-cold beer. He leaned his head against the wall, deep in thought when John came into the kitchen. He looked at his best friend sadly as he grabbed himself a glass of water. He sighed as he took a long sip while Keith set his empty bottle on the counter next to him.

"What's on your mind, mate?" John asked, sighing quietly.

"It sounds like you already know," Keith chuckled dryly.

John nodded as he set his cup in the sink, getting closer to him. "Pam?" Keith just nodded. "You're still in love with her?" Once again, Keith nodded, staring off into space. "What are you going to do?"

Keith chuckled and shook his head, unable to snap out of his trance. "I don't know anymore."


	26. Chapter 26

Monterey, June 1967 

Once Keith's drums started smoking and Pete started breaking his guitar, Pamela watched as smoke bombs began to go off behind the amps and speakers. Suddenly, a few members of the concert staff rushed onto the stage, grabbing the microphones and taking them backstage. After the chaos was over, the band rushed off the stage. 

Pamela looked over at Cheryl, who's dark brown eyes were wide with shock. She laughed at her friend as the audience clapped and cheered for the band. "So, what did you think?" she asked her through the noise. "They're pretty amazing, aren't they?"

"They're more than amazing," Cheryl said with a bright smile. "They're bloody fantastic! I can't even explain how wonderful they are onstage." 

She smiled and nodded in agreement. "Are you glad we decided to fly out to see them perform?" she asked her.

"Uh, yeah," Cheryl answered, as if it was obvious. "We also get to see a lot of other people perform. Hendrix, Mamas and the Papas, Jefferson Airplane. God, I can't believe we're actually here." 

"Neither can I," Pamela chuckled, looking around at the audience. It was getting pretty dark out, so they were both grateful they were wearing heavy layers of clothing. Luckily, everyone there was dressed in colorful clothing as well, so it was easier to spot good friends as well as famous musicians. "Thank Pete, without him, we wouldn't be here." 

Just then, Pete, Keith, Roger and John spotted them in the audience and quickly sat next to them. Pamela instantly hugged Pete tightly and kissed his cheek while the others sat with Cheryl, starting up a conversation with her. "You did amazing!" she told him, brushing some of his dark hair, which was growing longer. 

Pete just sighed and shook his head. "No, we were awful," he told her flatly as he stared off at the empty stage. "The sound system's a bunch of bullshit. Absolutely ridiculous." 

Pamela pulled her hand away as she sighed quietly. She didn't understand why she felt sad; its not like it was her that he was insulting. "I still think you guys did great," she told him quietly. 

Just then, Pete sighed quietly as a small wave of guilt overcame him. He looked over at her and rubbed her knee. "Thank you," he told her with all the patience he could muster. "Really." 

She looked back at him with a small smile as she took his hand in hers. "Of course," she said, giving him another kiss on the cheek. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they both looked out onto the stage.

A man with shiny blonde hair and exquisite clothing walked onto the stage, and the audience began to cheer. Pamela's jaw dropped; she immediately knew who it was. "Oh my god, it's Brian Jones!" she exclaimed to Pete, looking at him in awe. 

He laughed as he watched her freak out, unable to stop staring at the blonde. "I can introduce you to him, if you like," he told her. Once again her eyes widened, making him laugh.

"Really?" 

"Yeah, we're actually pretty good friends with the Stones," Pete told her. 

"That would be amazing!" 

Just then, Brian spoke up into his microphone. "I'd like to introduce a very good friend, a fellow countryman of yours. A brilliant performer, and the most exciting guitarist I've ever heard: The Jimi Hendrix Experience!" The audience cheered and Brian left the stage while the band came onto play.

Pete watched nervously and anxiously as they started playing the intro to Killing Floor, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Pamela noticed and looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "What's the matter?" she asked him. 

"He's already doing better than us," he whispered.

Pamela shook her head, rubbing his arm. "Don't say that. He only just started playing." 

Pete nodded and continued to watch nervously as they transitioned into the next song, Foxey Lady. Pamela was starting to understand why he was so anxious; this was unlike anything she had ever watched before. The audience watched in awe and looked absolutely mystified as they watched them perform. Brian was right; his guitar playing was exciting. In fact, it was more than exciting. It was otherworldly. 

After the song, Wild Thing, Jimi smashed his guitar against his amp, making the guitar roar as the audience gasped. He laid it flat on the floor, kneeling down as he poured a liquid on it. After giving it a kiss, he lit a match and set the guitar on fire, making the feedback reach a new, higher pitch.

Once the noises finally stopped, the audience clapped and cheered, still mystified by the performance. Pete took a deep breath as he clapped his hands, trying not to look too pissed off.

Later, the band took Pamela and Cheryl backstage so they could gather their instruments. Cheryl waited out of the way with Pamela, watching them pack up. "What did you think?" she asked Pam.

"Jimi's performance was...unbelievable," Pamela answered. "Don't talk to Pete about it; he's still upset." They both laughed as Pete came to them, accompanied by none other than Brian Jones. It took everything they had not to faint right on the spot. 

"Brian, this is my wife Pam and our friend, Cheryl," he introduced. Brian smiled at the two of them and shook their hands. Pamela's cheeks grew red and she did her best not to make any too embarrassing noises.

"Lovely to meet you both," he said with another smile. 

"It's so lovely to meet you too," Pamela said to him, her hands growing shaky. "We are such huge fans. Aren't we, Cheryl?"

Cheryl nodded quickly, unable to stop smiling. "Yes, we are! I listen to your records all the time; you're brilliant."

Brian chuckled as he smiled in gratitude. "Usually it's Keith and Mick who get the compliments on the music," he remarked softly. "But thank you, that's lovely to hear."

"Speaking of Mick, where is he?" Pete asked. "I would have liked to see him here."

"Oh, I bet you would have," Keith giggled, jumping next to him out of nowhere. Pete gave him a dirty look, making Pam look at the two of them suspiciously. Keith gave Pam a wink, making Pete slap his arm. 

"Everyone else is back at home," Brian suddenly answered. "They couldn't get visas because of the..you know." Everyone in the group immediately knew what he was talking about and nodded. Mick and Keith had both gotten into trouble for using drugs, which made it hard for them to leave the country. "It's a shame; I'm sure they would have loved to see you here."

Just then, a girl with a long, blonde ponytail dressed in dark clothing and small sunglasses stood next to Brian. "Ready to go?" she asked him in a thick German accent. 

He nodded as he looked back at his friends. "It was good to see you again, Pete and Keith. And it was lovely to meet you, Pam and Cheryl. I hope our paths will cross again."

"Bye, Brian!" they all said, waving goodbye to him. Once he was out of sight, Pete slapped Keith's arm again, making him run away cackling. Pamela looked down at the floor as everyone in the group walked to the car.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Late at night, the band was sitting outside at a table with Cheryl. They were so tired and so drunk that they were laughing at every little thing. Meanwhile, Pamela sat at a table with Pete, the two of them sitting in awkward silence. Pamela had barely said a word to him since they got back to their hotel. 

After a while, the silence was starting to annoy Pete. "Is something wrong?" he asked her.

She looked up away him, her eyes starting to well up with tears. She refused to cry in front of him, she always had. "No," she said, starting to get the familiar awful feeling in her throat.

"Are you sure about that?" Pete asked her skeptically.

At that moment, she couldn't take it anymore. She wiped her eyes and finally looked at him. "What did Keith mean when he said that?" she asked.

It took a moment for him to respond. "Said what?" Pete asked, even though he already knew the answer. 

"You know what," Pamela said, fighting back tears with all her might. Whatever she did, she would not give him something to make fun of. "Are you.." She couldn't finish as she bit her cheek, her breath growing shakier.

Pete's heart grew heavy as the beating grew slower, almost as if time stopped. He immediately knew what she was asking him. "Pam, I-" Without letting him finish, she stormed away from him and inside the hotel, leaving him alone. He bit his lip as he stared out into the street, refusing to give in and cry. 

Noticing Pamela leave, Keith left his friends and quickly chased after her. "Pam? What's the matter?" he asked, stopping her by taking her hand. She turned to him, looking at him through teary eyes. He looked at her sadly as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She sobbed on his shoulder, getting mascara-filled tears on his red jacket. 

Keith could guess what it was that was making her cry. He felt more guilty than he ever had in his entire life. "I am so so sorry, this is all my fault," he told her. 

She quickly shook her head, sniffing and wiping her tears. "No, it's not your fault at all," she told him. Right as she was about to calm down, she burst into tears again. "I don't know what to do. I can't talk to him about it, I can't face him again."

He held her closer, gently stroking some of her hair. "It's going to be alright," he comforted her. "Come stay in my room tonight."

She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Are you sure?" she asked him uncertainly. 

"Yeah, it's nothing," Keith told her with a smile. "Well, I just gotta tell a few groupies that I have other plans. But other than that, I don't mind at all."

Pamela laughed quietly and wiped more of her tears away, walking with him to his room. "Oh, Keith?" she asked.

"Yes?" he asked, leading her in. 

"Don't try anything."

"Alright," Keith said, sighing dramatically. Pamela laughed and hit his arm as he shut the door behind them. 

Meanwhile, back outside, Cheryl noticed Pete sitting alone. She left John and Roger at the table and slowly walked to his table, sitting next to him. Not too close, but close enough. He looked up at her with a blank expression, making her bite her lip. "What's wrong?" she asked him. 

"What do you mean? Everything's just dandy," he said, letting out a fake laugh. 

Cheryl tilted her head to the side, furrowing her eyebrows. "Pete, I know something's wrong. I know the both of you too well. What's going on?"

Pete sighed quietly, both in frustration and embarrassment as he looked to the side. Cheryl waited patiently as he inhaled softly. "Pamela thinks I'm gay," he admitted.

Cheryl was taken aback, unsure of what to say. "Are you?" she asked, half as a joke and half in all seriousness.

He chuckled, shaking his head as he rested his head in his hands. "I don't know."

All Cheryl could do was nod sympathetically. She reached over and took his hand in hers. He looked into her eyes, not pulling his hand away, to her surprise. "I'm always here for you."

"I know that," he told her, making her chuckle and roll her eyes. "And I'm always here for you too."

"Thank you. I'm always here for you too."

"Thank you."


	27. Chapter 27

That same night, Cheryl decided to keep Pete some company, since he was clearly still upset. Roger and John were still busy doing..whatever it was that they were doing, and Keith and Pamela refused to talk to anyone else. Cheryl knew it was unlikely that he was going to get some comforting from their other friends or even his wife, so she decided to spend time with him to make him feel better.

Pete led her into his hotel room, where she timidly sat down on the edge of the bed. He laughed at her timidity, picking up a shirt and going to the bathroom. She laughed as he locked the door, leaving her alone. She situated herself to get more comfortable on the bed, sitting with her legs crossed. To her surprise, his room was a lot cleaner than she expected; she heard lots of stories about how The Who trashed every hotel they stayed at. Maybe that night just wasn't the right night.

He finally came out of the bathroom in much more comfortable clothing. He sat down next to her, sighing deeply. "What do you want to do?" he asked her with a laugh.

She laughed as she looked around the room, trying to think of something to do. Just then, she saw his closed guitar case laying on the floor. She smiled as she knelt down on the floor, opening it and taking it out of its case. She laughed as she held it up, looking at the cracks on the bottom of the guitar. He rolled his eyes as he took it from her, wrapping the strap around his shoulders and resting it on his knee. 

"Any requests?" he asked, tilting it towards her as she sat next to him. 

"What's something you haven't shown to anyone yet?" Cheryl asked curiously.

"I've got a good one," he said, as he quietly began to strum his guitar and sing softly. "I'm a million ages past you, a million years behind you, too. A thousand miles up in the air, a trillion times I've seen you there." 

Even without all the theatrics, costumes, or sound effects, he still looked and sounded amazing. He still had such an amazing presence and impact while playing, meanwhile playing effortlessly. "Your hair is golden, mine is grey. You walk on grass, it turns to hay. Your blood is blue and your eyes are red. My body strains, but the nerves are dead."

Every once in a while, she would make a beat by slapping her hand against her knee quietly, making Pete chuckle as he sang the words. She couldn't understand how his voice sounded so effortlessly soft yet strong, and smooth. "I can't reach you, I've strained my eyes. I can't reach you, I've split my sides. I can't reach, tryin' to get on you, see, feel or hear from you." 

As she kept listening, she soon realized what the song was about. Pamela.

"Once I caught a glimpse of your unguarded, untouched heart. Our fingertips touched and then my mind tore us apart. I can't reach you with arms outstretched. I can't reach you, I crane my neck. I can't reach, tryin' to get on you, see, feel or hear from you."

As he strummed the last few chords, Cheryl looked at him in awe, making him laugh. "Something wrong, Cheryl?" he teased her, gently taking the guitar off and setting it against the wall next to the bed. 

"You're just really talented," she flushed, smiling at him. "How do you come up with this stuff?"

All he could do was laugh quietly and shrug his shoulders. "I don't really know," he admitted. "I just write whatever comes to mind, I guess."

"It's brilliant, Pete," she told him genuinely. 

"Thank you," he told her with a soft smile. They stayed quiet for a moment, just staring into each other's eyes. Before Cheryl could think or say anything, he was leaning in. Her heart started pounding and she lost all reason as she leaned in too, his lips finally connecting with hers. She rested her hand on his cheek as he kissed her slowly but deeply. 

She pulled away, keeping close to him as she got lost in his beautiful blue eyes. Then, she kissed his lips again, draping her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer as he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her softly and slowly. It was so soft and loving, different from any other kiss she had before.

Then, like an overwhelming ocean wave crashing on the sand, the reality of the situation hit her. She pulled away and touched her lips, looking at Pete with wide eyes. "I'm sorry," she told him, rubbing her temples.

"Don't be," he told her reassuringly. "It was my fault."

"No, it was mine," she argued with a shaky sigh.

"How so?" 

She looked at him as her eyes slowly filled with tears. "I enjoyed it too much," she finally answered. She blushed and looked away; she knew he didn't feel the same. He only kissed her because he was upset and most likely drunk, she knew it. 

"I did too," he told her.

She looked back at him with hope in her eyes. "You're different from any guy I've met, Pete," she told him. "I know that sounds so cliche but...it's the truth. I feel like I can actually be myself around you, like I can talk to you about anything."

"I feel the same way about you," he told her, reaching for her hand. "You're different from Pam. I love her with all my heart, but.. she's fading away from me." 

Cheryl's cheeks grew red as she looked at him with a sad smile. "Peter Townshend, are you drunk?" she asked him. 

He laughed softly. "No, not one bit. Are you?"

"No." They both chuckled and looked down at the floor before Cheryl spoke up again. "So..what is this?"

Pete shook his head, sighing deeply. "You know, I couldn't tell you."

"The timing couldn't be worse," Cheryl laughed, wiping her eyes. Pete chuckled and nodded in agreement. She looked at him with another soft smile. "But I meant every word."

"So did I," Pete told her.

They looked into each other's eyes once again, getting lost in the moment. Cheryl couldn't get over how beautiful and mesmerizing his eyes were. After a moment, she stood up and took his hands in hers. She kissed him one last time before pulling away and brushing some of his hair. "Goodnight, Pete." 

"Goodnight, Cheryl," he said, watching her leave.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next day, Pete dropped Pamela and Cheryl off at the airport so they could fly back to England. He went inside with them to say goodbye before they boarded the plane. At the gate, the three of them stood awkwardly, unsure of what to say. 

Pamela, who was still heartbroken, went to Pete and hugged him softly. He hugged her back, unsure of what to say. "Love you," she told him quietly, breaking away.

"Love you too," he said, watching her board the plane. Cheryl stayed behind, looking at him with sad eyes. 

She quickly hugged him, holding him close to her. He hugged her back tightly, not letting her go for a few minutes. Her chin began to quiver as he pulled away from her. "We'll figure this all out when we get back, alright?" he asked her.

She nodded her head, looking at him with a quick smile. "Goodbye, Pete," she said.

"Goodbye Cheryl."


	28. Chapter 28

September 1967 

Things were not going so well for Pamela at home. She was sad all the time, she hardly had anymore motivation for her schoolwork, and she was always coming into work late. Cheryl was more concerned for her than annoyed, which was a surprise to many of their coworkers. She was surprisingly patient with her.

One day, Cheryl decided to visit her at their flat. As Cheryl walked in, she saw Pamela laying on the couch in her pajamas, staring at the television. Cheryl sighed sadly as she sat by her feet, looking at her. "Pam?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to talk?" she asked her, reaching for her hand. 

Pamela sat upright, looking down at the floor in sorrow. No tears would fall. "I think I've lost him," she told her honestly. "Not just because he's.." She couldn't finish; the terrible feeling in her throat came back, making it hard to speak. 

Cheryl looked at her friend, heartbroken for her. "Pam, I don't think he is," she told him honestly.

"Really? What makes you think that?" Pamela asked uncertainly.

Cheryl suddenly got a lot more nervous. "He loves you, doesn't he?" she asked her with a smile. Her smile faded when she wouldn't answer. "He does, Pam. He loves you so much."

"I guess so," Pamela said, putting on her best smile. She hugged Cheryl tightly for a while, not wanting to let go of her. Cheryl rubbed her back comfortingly as she held her close. "Thank you for being a good friend."

"Anytime," she told her. She stared at the television and laughed. "What on earth are you watching?" She stood up and crossed to the tv set, changing the channel until something better came on. Then, her eyes lit up as she saw a familiar face on the screen. Pete.

"What's your name?" a voice asked him. 

"Pete."

"Pete?"

"Townshend, yeah."

"Where are you from?"

"London."

"London where?"

"London, England."

Cheryl looked back at Pamela, who was staring at the screen. "Look who it is," she told her. 

Pamela smiled softly at the screen as she kept watching. She missed her husband so much. When did things just start going wrong for the two of them? From the moment they first met, she always thought that they were going to be together forever. Now she wasn't so certain. 

"And over here, the guy who plays the sloppy drums. What's your name?"

"Keith."

"Keith?"

"My friends call me Keith, you can call me John."

Pamela chuckled softly as she watched him on the screen. She missed Keith more than anything, as well. He was always such a good friend to her, and she felt like she could really be herself with him. With him, she wasn't afraid to let loose and show emotions. She never really felt that way with Pete; she still loved him, but it was different. 

Just then, she felt overwhelmingly sick. She took deep breaths in and out, and Cheryl gave her a concerned look. "Is everything alright, Pam?" she asked. Pamela nodded as she drew a shaky breath. Suddenly, she ran down the hall, leaving Cheryl alone in the sitting room. 

Not knowing if she should give her some space or make sure she was alright, Cheryl sat nervously on the couch. She looked down the hall nervously, listening in as best as she could. She looked back at the television and saw that they were nearing the end of their performance, which meant the chaos was drawing near. She turned the television off and went to the bathroom, knocking on the door.

"Pam, are you alright?" Cheryl asked.

"No," Pamela said through sobs. 

Cheryl walked in without knocking and saw her kneeling on the floor. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I think I'm pregnant," Pamela said, wiping her tears.

Cheryl's heart nearly stopped as she heard those words leave her mouth. "What-"

"I feel sick all the time and I'm late," Pamela interrupted. "Cheryl, I'm so scared. I don't think I can do this."

As the tears streamed down Pamela's face, Cheryl quickly wrapped her arms around her and held her close. "It's going to be alright," she told her comfortingly. "Let's go get a test and we'll go from there, alright?"

Pamela nodded. "Can you go? I'm sorry, I would go..it's just everyone knows I'm married to Pete, and the media will find out really fast-" 

"I understand," Cheryl said, nodding her head. She carefully let go of Pamela and stood up, brushing off her skirt. "I'll be right back, alright? Stay safe. It's going to be alright." 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Cheryl anxiously waited outside the door as Pamela took the test. She paced back and forth in the hallway, biting all of her fingernails. If she was pregnant, what did this mean for her and Pete? She was starting to think that she actually had a chance with him, as awful as that sounded. Now that there was a possibility that Pamela was pregnant, everything became more complicated.

Why did this always have to happen to her? Why did she always have to fall for the wrong guy? It's been happening to her for as long as she could remember, and she was getting so tired of it. Still, she couldn't help the way she felt about Pete. The crazy thing is that she used to hate him. Every day she asked herself why Pamela was with a guy like him. Then, as she got to know him more, she finally understood.

She leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath and trying not to cry. She never felt less hopeful, less joyful, less optimistic in her entire life. There was no way she would ever be truly happy, was there?

Suddenly, the door opened, and Cheryl looked up to face Pamela. "Well?" she asked. "Are you-"

"No," Pamela said, sighing in relief. Just then, Cheryl's heart started racing. Maybe there was hope for her after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //sorry this chapter wasn't that great ;-;


	29. Chapter 29

Things didn't go so well for a while after Pete finally came back from tour. Neither of them were at home very often; Pete was working on getting a new album released in December and Pamela was staying busy with school and work. The only time they got to see each other was at late at night, and they barely exchanged two words with each other. Pamela was still upset about the talk they had Keith and Brian, and the guilt from kissing Cheryl was consuming Pete.

Neither of them could bottle up their feelings for very long. It was tearing them both apart, and neither of them could take it any longer. One late night, they were both laying in bed, staring at the ceiling when Pete sat upright. "Can we talk?" he asked, looking over at her. She swallowed her pride and sat upright, still keeping her distance from him. 

Finally, she thought. This was a perfect time to talk about..you know. She was relieved; she didn't know how on earth she was supposed to start up the conversation. "Alright," she said, taking a deep breath. "Are you-"

"I kissed Cheryl," Pete interrupted. 

At that moment, Pamela didn't know if she should laugh or cry. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that he would cheat on her, especially not with her best friend. The best friend that she thought hated him since day one, and vice versa. Her throat became dry and it became hard to breathe. "I'm confused-"

Pete sighed in annoyance. "What is there for you to be confused about?"

"You confuse the hell out of me, Pete!" she snapped. "One minute you hate Cheryl, then you're in love with her the next, one minute you're into girls, t-"

"Whoa, who said I was in love with Cheryl?" Pete interrupted. "It was a fucking kiss, Pam!"

"A kiss can mean lots of things!"

Pete scoffed. "I barely said a word when Keith kissed you!"

"That was different. Keith's my friend, that didn't mean anythi-"

"So you're just assuming that ours meant something?"

"Well, did it?" Pamela asked angrily. She became misty-eyed as he took a moment to respond. In his defense, how was he supposed to respond? "Did it?" she repeated, louder that time. Once again, no response. She scoffed sadly and stood up, putting a jacket on over her flannel pajamas.

"Pam, wait-" 

Heartbroken and angry, she ignored him and pushed past the front door. Nearly blinded by her tears, she walked down the street, crossing her arms in an effort to keep warm. She sobbed quietly as she journeyed through the streets, making sure not to disturb anyone. Once she made it to her destination, she knocked on the door quietly.

After a few minutes, Kim opened the door, holding Amanda in her arms. "Pam?" she asked. "What are you doing here? It's getting late."

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked, trying not to start sobbing again as she wiped her tears. On any other occasion, Kim would have said no, for obvious reasons. However, she felt so sad, seeing a friend of Keith's so sad like that. So she opened the door wider for her, signaling for her to come in.

"Make yourself at home. I'll go get Keith," Kim told her, walking down the hall. Pamela sat down on the couch timidly, looking around the room. It definitely looked like there was a toddler living there, but she couldn't decide if it was because Keith lived there or they had Amanda. She chuckled sadly as she looked down at the floor, the memories she had with Keith going through her mind. 

Just then, Keith came into the room with a smile on his face. He smiled even more as he saw Pamela sitting on the couch. Sitting next to her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. She noticed that his arms were getting stronger, probably from throwing his drums all over the place. His smile faded as he saw her tears. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Pete," she told him, resting her head on his chest and starting to cry quietly. He nodded and rubbed her back, pulling her closer. "He kissed Cheryl." 

The color drained from Keith's face. "Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief. He scoffed as she nodded her head, the tears falling faster down her face. "Wow. What an ass."

"Apparently it meant something to him, too," she told him through sobs. "And he brought up that one time we kissed, too. And that didn't mean anything at all, right?" She chuckled softly at the last part.

"Yeah. Right," Keith said with a nervous laugh, but Pamela was crying too hard to think anything of it. He was still bitter that the one time he gets to kiss the girl of his dreams, he can't even remember it. But, this wasn't about him. "I'm really sorry, Pam. What can I do to help you?" 

Pamela got closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just be here for me. That's all anyone can do," she told him, the tears slowly beginning to cease. "Tell me everything's going to be alright."

"I will if you do the same for me," Keith told her, moving some of her hair out of her eyes. He froze a tiny bit as she looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Oh? What's wrong, Keith? Is there anything you want to tell me?" 

Keith quickly shook his head, making Pamela laugh. "No, I'm alright," he said with a small smile. "Even if I wasn't, we're not talking about me. We're talking about you."

Pamela chuckled as her cheeks grew pink. "Keith Moon, when did you become such a gentleman?"

He chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? I don't have a clue," he said, making her laugh again. "Listen, Pam, I'll give Keith a good talking to if you need me to. I mean it."

Pamela quickly shook her head. "No. Don't worry. I don't want you to get involved in this whole mess."

"If you say so."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Cheryl watched nervously as Pamela walked through the doors of the store. By the look on her face, she was very upset about something. At that point, Cheryl could only assume the worst: she knew. Taking a deep breath, she crossed over to her friend.

"Pam, can we please talk?" she asked in a low voice. 

"I know," Pamela told her without skipping a beat. Although she was expecting it, Cheryl's heart started racing. She prepared herself for the worst; Pamela looked like she was about ready to kill someone. "I know about you and Pete."

"Look, I am so sorry," Cheryl said quickly, but genuinely. "I don't know what came over me, I should have pushed him away or-"

"Save it," Pamela interrupted. She took a deep breath as Cheryl stayed there, nervously waiting for a response. "You know what, Cheryl, I don't want to lose our friendship over this. It almost happened to us once, and I don't want it to happen again."

Cheryl nodded, almost sighing in relief. "Me neither."

"But if you do it again, I'm never speaking to you again," Pamela said quickly. "And I mean it this time." Cheryl looked off to the side; as much as she really liked Pete, she didn't want to lose someone close to her. 

"I promise I won't," she told her genuinely. "I just hope you can forgive me. And Pete, most of all."

"I forgive you, I'm just really mad at you," Pamela told her, sighing as she hung up her coat. "I'm going to be mad at you for a long time."

Once again, Cheryl nodded. "I understand that." Before Pamela could say anything else, she walked away and got back to work. She stared off into space as she sorted through the blouses, making sure they were folded properly. 

Just then, she saw someone next to her in her peripheral vision. She turned and saw Pete, looking at her sadly. She smiled quickly to him, dropping the shirts. "Hi Pete," she said.

"Hi Cheryl," he said, quickly smiling back before frowning again. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry." 

"I'm sorry too," she told him. "Friends?"

"Of course," Pete said with a chuckle, pulling her into a brisk hug. He pulled away and she watched sadly as he went over to Pamela, kissing and making up with her.


	30. Chapter 30

Adelaide, South Australia, January 1968 

The tour in Australia with the Small Faces was not going so well. Everywhere they went, there were reporters asking them annoying questions about everything, including the Vietnam War, drug and alcohol usage, and more. Not only that, but the band also had a horrible reputation in Australia and were attacked for being "too rebellious." Even the Monkees had troubles with them in the past, and they were friendly with the media everywhere else.

It got so annoying that Ian of the Small Faces told a reporter to "fuck off" when he wouldn't stop pestering him about the pot bust back at home. Just when they thought their image in Australia couldn't get any worse, they were wrong. Keith still wouldn't let go of his destructive habits; trashing all the hotel rooms and pulling pranks on people in public.

As if that wasn't enough, they still had the insane fans to deal with. Following them wherever they went, surrounding them completely without giving them room to breathe, and asking them the same annoying questions. Was some space seriously too much to ask for? 

Not to mention, there were so many problems at all of the concerts. The sound system was a joke, all members of both bands were constantly arguing, and once again, the aggressive fans were so annoying. Even after the concerts, they still had to deal with being harassed by the media, which was one of many occasions they wanted to see them the least.

One day, they on the plane in Adelaide on their way to Sydney. Pete sat next to John Paul Jones, who also accompanied them on the tour, trying to relax. Usually on these tours, being on the plane was the only chance they got to relax. He leaned his head back against the seat, sighing deeply. John noticed and chuckled to himself.

"Here," he said, giving him a bottle of beer as discreetly as he could. 

Pete looked at John in surprise as he took it, opening it carefully. Alcoholic drinks still weren't allowed on planes, yet John's band somehow managed to smuggle them on without anyone noticing. "How did you-"

"Don't ask," John laughed, taking a sip from his own bottle. Pete turned around and saw the rest of their friends drinking out of bottles, as well. He chuckled as he leaned back again, taking a long sip. "I can't wait for this dumb tour to be over," John told him truthfully.

Pete chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Finally, someone I can agree with," he said. "I swear to god, I'm never coming back here. This place is a shit show."

"Couldn't agree more," John laughed. He tapped his bottle against Pete's, making a soft clink. Pete chuckled quietly as they both kept drinking, finally feeling relaxed. Just then, things took a turn for the worst as a stewardess passed them. They both just gave her a sarcastic smile as she walked down the aisle, going to the back of the cabin. 

"Oh god," Pete sighed. "Just when we thought this tour couldn't get any fucking worse."

"Calm down, mate. It's probably fine, right?" John asked with a nervous smile. Pete nodded uncertainly and as they looked to the side, they saw her walking back down the aisle to the other side of the plane. They watched her as she went into the flight deck, shutting the door behind her.

Pete clenched his teeth as he folded his arms, waiting for the worst to come. John, however, did his best to relax as he finished his drink. Meanwhile, everyone at the back of the plane was having the time of their lives. Well, everyone except for Bob, one of The Who's roadies. 

For the rest of the flight, everything went surprisingly well. About an hour in, they didn't see the stewardess and Pete was finally able to relax. However, the moment they got off the plane at Melbourne, they were met by airport security and police officers.

"Fucking hell," Pete muttered, rolling his eyes. Honestly, could this tour get any worse? 

Luckily, they didn't arrest them, which was a surprise to everyone there. In fact, they were led to First Class Lounge (where oddly enough, they were served drinks). After a while, they were escorted onto their plane, where they would fly to New Zealand. Finally, they were getting the hell out of Australia.

"Well, that was a complete and utter waste of time," Steve laughed.

☆☆☆

Once they got to the hotel, Pete set his luggage on the floor and fell flat onto his bed. He screamed into his pillow, making Keith cackle. However, John and Roger just rolled their eyes as they started cleaning up their things. Pete turned around to lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. 

"How much are we getting paid for this tour, again?" Pete asked them, making Roger laugh. 

"It'll be alright, Pete," John said as he pulled out his bass guitar. He grabbed a cloth and starting cleaning off the fingerprints and scratches. "Just a few more weeks here, and then we'll be in America." 

Pete groaned again, turning to lay on his side. "How much are we getting paid for that one?"

"Who knows anymore?" Roger asked, stripping into some more comfortable clothes. Everyone in the room groaned loudly and quickly covered their eyes.

"For god's sake, Roger, this isn't a strip club," John scolded him. 

"Oh, shut up," Roger told them all. "I swear, this tour has got you all acting a lot more dramatic than usual. And that's saying a lot."

Keith ignored them all as he pulled out his suitcase, cackling as he grabbed an all-too familiar object that made everyone in the room widen their eyes. "Keith, no!" John begged.

"Now is really not the time, Keith!" Pete said, rolling his eyes.

Keith pouted and huffed as he put the bag of cherry bombs back in his suitcase. Instead, he grabbed a large can of spray paint and started shaking it. He whined again as everyone shook their heads. "Oh, come on! Please?" he begged like a little toddler.

"No, Keith! You're going to get us kicked out again." Roger scolded him.

Keith sighed as he put the spray paint back in his suitcase. He reached for something else, making everyone wait for him in suspense. "Can I at least-"

"NO!" 

Just then, there was a knock at the door. No one else offered to answer it, so Pete grumbled as he got up from his comfortable spot on the bed. As he opened the door, a teenage boy gave him an envelope and quickly left the room. Pete shut the door and opened the envelope quickly.

As he read the letter in front of his bandmates, his friends watched curiously. "Pete, what is it?" Roger asked. "What does it say?"

Suddenly, Pete started laughing, making John and Roger give each other worried looks. He dropped the letter and took a notebook and pen out of his suitcase. Keith quickly snatched the letter and read it, promptly bursting out into laughter. "Dear Mr. Townshend, please never come back to Australia," he imitated in a fake accent. He couldn't even finish the letter; he was laughing too hard. "It's from their Prime Minister!"

John and Roger burst out into laughter and they all looked over Pete's shoulder, watching him respond to the telegram. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

England

Pamela's schedule was starting to clear up just a little bit, so she thought it was a good idea to spend some time with her friends. She sat with Jackie and Alison at their favorite restaurant, waiting for their orders to come. It felt so good to finally be catching up with the two of them again; since she had gone back to school, she didn't get to see very much of them.

"How does it feel to finally be married to John?" Jackie asked Alison for what felt like the one millionth time. 

Alison smiled and blushed afterwards, which also felt like the one millionth time. However, it was such a sweet thing to see that no one cared how many times it would happen. "It feels absolutely wonderful," she answered. "He's the love of my life. I want to be with him forever."

"Aww," Jackie and Pamela said at the same time, smiling brightly at her.

"You two are just adorable," Pamela said. She looked off to the side, as no one was sure what they were supposed to say next. "Where's Kim?"

The smiles faded from Jackie and Alisons' faces, making Pamela give them a confused look in response. "She doesn't really get around much anymore," Jackie answered. "We'll just leave it at that."

"Oh? Why not?" Pamela asked curiously.

"It's not really our place to talk about it," Alison reminded them. Pamela and Jackie quickly nodded their heads in agreement. "Let's just say it's because she's taking care of Amanda. Usually all by herself."

Pamela furrowed her eyebrows. "She has Keith, doesn't she?" she asked them both. "Surely he helps out whenever he can, right?"

Jackie and Alison both gave each other a look before Jackie responded, trying not to sound too condescending. "Parenting isn't really Keith's..strong suit. He's a really sweet guy, it's just..it's not really for him."

Pamela didn't know why, but those words hurt her. It's not like she was trying to offend Pamela in any way, or Keith, for that matter. "Oh," she said, looking down at the ground. "I understand where you're coming from, I think." She chuckled softly.

Both her friends nodded. "But I'm sure Pete will make an excellent father," Alison reassured her with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Jackie smiled and murmured in agreement. 

"Oh. I'm sure he will, but I don't know if that's really 'for us' either," Pamela told them sadly. 

"Why's that, dear?" Alison asked.

Pamela shrugged her shoulders, unsure of what to say. "I don't really know. He's gone all the time and lately it just feels like we're good friends instead of husband and wife. We barely talk anymore, and if we do it's just 'love you' or 'goodnight,' and I feel like I barely even know him at all. I feel like he barely even knows me at all-" 

She stopped speaking and froze, laughing nervously. "Sorry girls, I don't know where that even came from," she said, which wasn't completely a lie. 

"It's alright," Jackie reassured her with a laugh. "Don't worry, having kids isn't for everyone." 

Pamela nodded. "I guess not."


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (quick warning, this chapter talks about some sad stuff)

February 1968

"Where are you now?" Cheryl asked Pete. Before he left on tour to Australia, Pete made sure to ask Cheryl for her contact information, which she gave to him without hesitating. As a result, he called her almost every night to check up on her. Of course, he still called Pamela, but usually their conversations didn't last very long. However, Pete and Cheryl could talk for hours. If they could. 

"Florida. Tallahassee, I think?" Pete answered with an exhausted chuckle. He wiped his forehead and rubbed his eyes as he held the handset. "I can't wait to come back home. Thank god we're not in Australia anymore, at least."

Cheryl laughed softly. "I can't wait for you to come home either," she told him, running a hand through her short, dark hair. She sighed quietly into the phone as she leaned back on the bed. "I miss you, Pete."

"I miss you too," Pete said quietly. They both stayed silent for a few minutes before Pete spoke up again. "So, I heard from Pamela that you're seeing someone now. What's his name, Mark, isn't it?" He laughed as he teased her, making her blush. 

Cheryl scoffed playfully and furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you serious? Pamela told you that?" she asked him, shaking her head. 

"Er..yeah, she did," Pete answered, laughing sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Anyways, how's that going?"

She was at a loss for words. She wanted to tell him the truth, but there were many complications. One of them was that she didn't want to bother him with her problems; he has enough of his own. Another one was that if Mark found out she told him, that wouldn't go so well for either of them. She was scared, but there was nothing she could do about it. "It's going great," she lied, putting on a sad smile.

"That's great," he told her. On the other line, he had the same look on his face: a look filled with heartbreak. The only thing the two of them could do was play it off and pretend those feelings didn't exist. "Does he treat you good?" 

Once again, the loss for words. What was she supposed to say? She really wasn't the type that liked to draw attention to herself. "Yes, he really does," she lied to him again, soft tears starting to fall from her eyes. She chuckled quietly, trying to play it off. "You don't have to worry about me anymore, Pete." 

Pete chuckled in response. "I'm always going to worry about you, Cheryl." Hearing those words made Cheryl's heart race and even more tears started falling down. She didn't make any noises; she didn't want him to think something was wrong. "You really do mean a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me too, Pete," she whispered to him. Somehow, he didn't realize that she had been crying, much to her relief. "When are you coming home to me?"

"Not until the end of April, sweetheart," he said with a sigh. "I'll make sure to come and see you all the time."

"You don't have to do that," Cheryl said quickly. Her lip started quivering; she knew what would happen if he came to her house at the wrong time. "I mean.. I'll come visit you. When I'm free and whenever you're free."

"Alright, whatever you say, weirdo," Pete laughed, making Cheryl chuckle softly. They both sighed in unison, staying quiet for a moment. "I mean it. I really do care so much about you."

"I care about you a lot too," Cheryl said, her tears finally ceasing. Just then, her heart sank as she heard the front door open from downstairs. "I gotta go. Love you." She quickly hung up the phone, turning off the lamp and laying back in bed. She tried to relax her heartbeat as she took deep breaths in and out.

☆☆☆

Meanwhile, Pamela was at home alone, trying to fall asleep. She had been dealing with a terrible headache the entire day, and just wanted to get some rest. However, that was easier said than done; all she could think about was how bad her head hurt. 

Just then, the phone rang, making her groan softly. She picked it up and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Pam, hi!" Keith said a little too loud on the other line. However, Pamela just smiled as she heard his voice. "How are you? We haven't talked in so long."

"I'm doing alright," Pamela answered with a smile, rubbing her forehead. "We haven't talked in a while, have we? What have you been up to?"

"Oh, the usual. Just pulling pranks on people, performing, trashing hotels, having lots of sex."

Pamela laughed out loud. "I didn't need to know about that, but alright. That sounds good for you."

This time, it was Keith's turn to laugh. "Why, is somebody jealous?" he teased, sounding like a little kid. She rolled her eyes playfully as she laughed again. 

"You wish," she chuckled. She stayed quiet for a moment, listing to Keith's laugh. "Keith, if you don't mind me asking, what about Kim?"

Keith hesitated for a moment before responding. Clearly, he was taken aback by her question. "What about her? She's in London, I'm in America. Both of us can do whatever we like."

"That's not what I'm talking about. You know that, don't you?"

"No, not really," Keith admitted while laughing. "What do you mean?"

"Do you love her, Keith?"

Once again, he hesitated, unsure of what the correct response would be. "I do. It's just a bit complicated right now." 

Pamela nodded. "I understand that, trust me I do. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to give you lessons in morality-"

"No, that's alright! At least you're not as judgmental as Pete when it comes to this stuff."

"I can believe that," Pamela laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not judging you. Sometimes when you're in a relationship, it's hard not to catch feelings for someone else."

"Exactly! Has that happened to you?"

"Er..no not really," Pamela laughed. "No one really comes to mind. What about you?"

"Actually, yeah it has."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

May 1968 

For the first time in a long time, Pete felt great when he came home from tour. It was the first headlining tour in the US, and it went surprisingly well. The US actually liked The Who, and the reporters there weren't nearly as annoying as the ones down under in Australia. Don't get me wrong, they were still annoying. However, no reporters could compare to those in Australia.

The band was having a party at Pete and Pamela's flat to celebrate their return. Much to Roger's annoyance, there were lots of alcoholic drinks there, courtesy of Keith and John. Roger and Jackie stayed far away from the alcohol while still having a good time with their friends.

Pete sat at the bottom of the staircase while his friends were laughing and talking amongst themselves. They all stood in a circle, having fun while enjoying each other's company. Roger, who was getting bored of his drunk friends, started looking outside the circle. That was when he noticed Pete sitting alone and went to him. 

"Hey man," he said, standing at his feet. Pete looked up briskly at him, giving him a quick smile before looking back at the door. He was waiting for someone, Roger knew that. But who? "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing," Pete answered, not making eye contact with him. Roger sighed and sat next to him. 

"What's going on?" Roger repeated, sounding more stern this time.

"Just waiting for Cheryl," Pete finally answered, rolling his eyes at his friend. "Something wrong with that?"

"Did I say there was?" Roger asked. Pete rolled his eyes again. "Sorry. Is everything alright?"

Pete shrugged. "I'm alright. I'm worried about her; she's been acting pretty strange lately."

"I wonder what's going on with her."

"Me too."

They both sat and waited in awkward silence, neither of them really knowing what to say next. The minutes felt like hours as he sat by the door, waiting for the knock. Then, he jumped up from his spot as it finally came. As he opened it, Cheryl rushed in and shut the door behind her, barely giving him time to say hello. 

"Hi," she said, quickly smiling at him. 

"Hi," he said, smiling back. "How have you been?"

"Alright, I guess," she shrugged. "How are you?"

"I'm great. I'm really glad you're here," he told her genuinely. "I was getting worried about you."

The color drained from Cheryl's face. "Why?" she asked, putting on another nervous smile. "Everything's fine, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

"If you say so," Pete chuckled. He looked in her eyes, getting lost in them. They both got lost in the moment before Pete finally spoke up. "How long are you here for?"

Cheryl looked at her wristwatch, frowning to herself. "I have to go right now," she answered.

"But you just got here-"

"I know," Cheryl said, chuckling quietly. She gave him one last smile. "It was really good to see you again, Pete."

"It was really good to see you," he told her. She started for the door again before he stopped her. "You look really pretty." 

Cheryl smiled at him. "Thank you." Then, she quickly rushed out the door, slamming it shut behind her.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> once again talking about some pretty sad stuff ;-;  
> also, its pretty short, sorry about that

June 1968 

"Bad news, the new single's not doing so well," Pete sighed into the phone. Ever since he got back from the tour, he expected to see Cheryl a lot more often. However, a few complications got in the way of that, so they spent most of their time talking to each other on the phone. Whenever it was convenient for the both of them, that is. "In fact, it's one of the worst singles we've ever released."

"Aw, it can't be that bad, can it?" Cheryl asked, trying to comfort him. "Where's it at on the charts?"

"93."

"Oh dear," Cheryl said, laughing nervously. 

Pete sighed deeply. "Tell me about it. I knew I should have just given that song to Ronnie."

"So what are you guys going to do now?" Cheryl asked him. "You're not going to give up yet, are you?"

"No," Pete laughed. "The only thing that's keeping us alive at this point is the tours. Luckily we're leaving for the US again next week, hopefully that will help us out a bit after that dreadful song."

Cheryl sighed quietly, trying not to sound too disappointed. "How long are you going to be gone this time?" she asked him. 

"We'll be back in September, luckily," Pete said with a laugh. "I don't think I can handle another long tour with these twats."

"Thank goodness for that," Cheryl said, putting on a small smile. "I just wish I got to see you more before you left."

"There's still time, you know," Pete told her. "We could spend some time together before I leave."

Cheryl's eyes lit up briefly before she remembered. "Pete, I don't know if that's such a good idea." Once again, she tried her best to mask her disappointment. 

"Oh come on, Cheryl. You're no fun," he teased her, following suit. 

"Whatever, Townshend." Despite her tone, she really wanted to spend more time with him. More than anything in the world. Normally, it wouldn't be such a big deal to want to spend more time with a good friend, who she just happened to be in love with. But now there were complications. 

"Alright, I see how it is," Pete sighed dramatically, making her laugh.

Cheryl groaned, pretending to be annoyed. "Fine. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye Pete."

"Goodbye Cheryl." He smiled proudly as he hung up the phone.

☆☆☆

The next day, Pete took Cheryl to the beach at the Isle of Man. It was later in the evening, so it was just the two of them there and it was getting chilly. They sat down next to each other on the sand, Cheryl hugging her legs to keep warm. They sat closer together than they ever imagined they would, staring out at the waves. 

Cheryl looked over at him with a small smile. "Thanks for taking me here," she told him.

"Anytime," he replied, smiling back genuinely. "I used to come here all the time as a kid." 

"Really? I did too." 

He nodded as he wrapped an arm around a waist. She flinched a bit at first, but relaxed and rested her head on his shoulder. Sitting there with him was when she realized she never felt so safe. If only these moments didn't have to end and she could feel this way forever.

"Pete?" she asked him. 

"Hmm?" he answered, running his hands through some of the sand on the ground.

"Can you tell me more about your childhood?"

He hesitated before responding, keeping still and taking a quick breath in and out. Feeling guilty, Cheryl looked up at him. "I lived with my grandmother for a while as a kid when my parents were separated," he finally said. Something about his tone of voice was already breaking her heart. "She's insane, Cheryl. She was terrible to me, and her friends, they.."

Cheryl lifted her head up from his shoulder, her eyes beginning to fill with hot tears. "Did they-" Once he nodded his head, tears came streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Pete. I..I don't even know what to say."

Pete drew a shaky breath as he wiped a few tears of his own away. "I've never really talked to anyone about this before," he admitted, looking towards her. 

She looked at him in disbelief. "Really?" she asked him quietly. "Not even Pam?"

"Not even Pam," he repeated. He paused for a moment before speaking up again. "You'd tell me if something like that was happening to you, right?"

Her heart started pounding as she wiped her eyes with shaky hands. "Of course I would," she lied, nodding her head. 

"Good," he nodded. 

"Let's talk about something happier," she said, chuckling sadly. "How are things going with Pam?"

"I thought you said let's talk about something happier," Pete chuckled dryly. 

Cheryl laughed softly. "That bad, huh?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it's not going that bad," he admitted with another chuckle. "It's just the same old thing, you know? Barely talking to each other, barely seeing each other, fighting and making up afterwards."

"I don't know what to say," she said, laughing nervously.

"Eh, it's alright. What about you? How are things going with your man?"

Her hands began to shake again as she put on a fake smile. "It's going great," she lied again. A common occurrence for when she was talking about him to anyone. "Really great."

"I'm glad," Pete lied. Another common occurrence.

She nodded, looking down at her wristwatch. Her eyes widened and she quickly stood up, brushing off her dress. "I really have to go," she told him. 

"No," he said, standing up. "No, please don't-"

"I'm so sorry," she said to him. "Listen, you are wonderful. Spending time with you is wonderful. And I'm really sorry about what happened to you. I love you so much."

Before she could turn her back on him, he gently pulled her closer to him and hugged her tightly. She eventually relaxed and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. 

"I miss you so much," he told her.

"I miss you too," she said, looking up at him. For a moment, time seemed to stop and they were both leaning in before she pulled away from him. "But this can never happen. We're both with someone else."

"Yeah, and we're both unhappy with those people!" Pete argued.

Cheryl quickly shook her head. "No, Pete. I'm so happy with Mark-"

"No you're not, Cheryl," Pete interrupted. 

Cheryl's heart started racing. Was it possible that he knew? "What are you talking about?"

"I know you too well, Cheryl. Something's going on that you're not telling me about. I know you're not really happy with him."

She couldn't say a word. He was right, but she wasn't supposed to admit that. So she quickly shook her head and backed away again. "You're wrong, Pete. The timing's just never going to work out for us."

Pete rolled his eyes before pulling her close again and kissing her deeply. Losing all hope of reason, she kissed him back, holding both of his hands. If only it could have lasted longer. If only there was a right time for them. 

She broke the kiss and pulled away from him. "Goodbye Pete," she said, her voice shaking. Before he could say or do anything, she ran away.


	33. Chapter 33

"Come on tour with me."

"Pete Townshend, what are you talking about?"

"You know what I said! Come on tour with me."

Cheryl sighed into the phone, pushing her growing hair back. As much as she wanted to run away with him out of the country, there were several things holding her back. Her job being one of them. "You know we can't do that," she told him. 

"Why not?"

Cheryl laughed and then sighed. "Lots of reasons. I have a job, remember? And you have a wife? You know that, I know that, the media knows that. Can you imagine how it would look?"

"Who cares about how it would look?"

"Pamela, for one. She's already suspicious of us, as it is."

Pete stayed quiet for a moment, trying to think of a solution. Then, something came to him like a lightbulb. "Just tell her you're visiting family or something."

"All of my family lives an hour from here, and she knows that. And you're still forgetting about the media! They'll get it out somehow, and Pamela will find out we lied to her."

Pete groaned in frustration. "Then just tell her you're going on vacation. You can be one of our roadies or something! Then no one will think you're my mistress."

Cheryl laughed again. "Pete, I really really want to come with you. It's just not going to happen."

Pete sighed, trying to hide his disappointment. "Yeah, I get that." They stayed quiet on both lines, looking down at the floor. "Can we at least try?"

"What will I tell Mark?" Cheryl asked. No emotion in her voice that time. What was the point?

"Tell him you're going on vacation without him. Or tell him you're going on a business trip. You'll think of something."

"He's not going to fall for that, Pete."

Pete exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair. "Right. We'll think of something. I have to go. Goodbye, Cheryl."

"Goodbye, Pete."

☆☆☆

"Come on tour with me," Keith laughed into his phone. 

"Keith, what in the world?" Pamela asked, laughing out loud. "You know we can't do that. My husband is in your band, remember?" 

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to know," he said, smirking.

"He'll find out," Pamela laughed. "I would literally be flying on the plane with you guys! Not to mention going to all the concerts and parties."

"You can just hide in my hotel room," Keith suggested. "And you could take a train to all of our concerts. That way no one will ever see you except for me." 

"But why don't we want anyone to see me?" Pamela chuckled. "It's not like we're secret lovers or anything."

Keith laughed. "But we could be," he suggested with another smirk. 

"No Keith," Pamela told him, making him give her a dramatic sigh. "Listen, let's get together before you leave. We don't see much of each other anymore."

"Sounds good to me," Keith said cheerfully. "What do you have in mind?"

"Anything. Literally anything."

"Good, I think I have some ideas," he told her with a mischievous smirk. "See you soon."

"Bye," she said, hanging up the phone. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When they were both finally dressed and ready for the day, Keith picked Pamela up in her car and they drove and drove. They opened their windows and blared out loud music the whole time, not caring who was listening. As soon as they were both out of the city, Keith drove faster through the countryside.

Pamela laughed and rolled up her window, since it was getting a bit too windy for her liking. "I've missed this," she told him. 

"What?" Keith asked loudly. Pamela laughed again; the music was still too loud for him to hear her. 

"I said I've missed this!" she told him again, louder that time. 

"Ahh," Keith nodded, looking back at the road. "I've missed it too!"

Pamela smiled as she looked out her window. There were small houses scattered around the land, small and simple houses that looked so lovely to live in. There were empty fields surrounding the houses, as well, making Pamela come up with scenarios about living there with Pete someday. Getting away from everyone else, having all the time in the world for themselves-

Just then, she saw something that caught her eye. "Keith, look! There's a cute tire swing over there."

Keith pulled over to the side of the road, parking the car. He grabbed her hand and took her to the swing. They noticed that there was a canal filled with deep, cool water next to the tree. Keith straddled the swing, looking at Pamela. "It looks a little small," she laughed. 

"Oh come on," he laughed, pulling her by the hand. She sat in the same position as Keith, facing him. She rested her back against the swing, kicking around so they were both swinging slowly. "This is nice."

"It's boring," he complained. He smirked as he reach over and held onto the swing behind her.

"Keith no," she laughed, holding onto his arms.

"Yes," he said, kicking harder so they would swing higher and higher. Pamela screamed as she held onto his waist, careful not to fall off the swing. Keith just laughed as he pushed the two of them higher and higher. After he finally got bored, he dragged his feet along the ground and slowed them down. 

Pamela finally pulled away from him and relaxed. They both shifted around so they were facing the canal. Keith wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close to him as they swung around, staying closer to the ground. "How's it going with Pete?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't really know anymore," she answered truthfully. "We don't talk as much anymore."

"Then what do you guys do?" Keith asked. "Just fuck?"

She laughed as her cheeks grew pink. "That's not all we do, Keith," she told him. "We hang out around home, he writes his songs and I do my schoolwork..we talk about our day." She tried not to sound upset about it. It wasn't really a big deal, was it? Couples went through rough patches like this all the time.

"I see," Keith said, looking down at the ground. He laughed out loud. "I can't believe you guys have been together for this long." 

"Keith, that's rude!" she laughed, playfully slapping his arm. "We've been together for so long because we love each other. Simple as that."

Keith nodded. "Makes sense." Realizing he was getting bored of just swinging around, he started kicking again so they went higher and higher. Without even thinking, she held onto his waist with both hands. It made her a little more unstable on the swing, and as a result she fell off into the canal. 

She gasped at the sudden change in temperature, laughing as she stood in the water, shaking from the cold. Keith was still on the swing, laughing hysterically. "Shut up, Keith!" she laughed, tossing a handful of water at him. Just then, he jumped off the swing and into the water next to her. Her eyes widened. "Keith are you crazy? It's freezing!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about; it feels alright to me." He placed his arms underwater, moving them forcefully so she would get hit by small waves of cold water. She cowered and covered her face, making him laugh. 

"I hate you!" She laughed as she did the same to him, sending bigger waves over in his direction. She laughed until he did the same thing to her, making her shriek. This went on for a while, until she relaxed in the water, him following suit. He swam a bit closer to her, holding her hand underwater.

She smiled playfully at him as he looked into her eyes. "What are you staring at?" she asked him quietly. 

"Nothing," he shrugged. "Your makeup's smudged." He laughed softly as he wiped away some of the smudged mascara under her eyes with his thumb. She blushed softly as he pet some of her hair. 

She leaned back so she was floating on her back, staring up at the sky. Keith chuckled and stayed by her side, watching her relax. She looked so peaceful, so serene. "I love you," he sighed.

"What?" she asked him. Her ears were partially underwater the whole time, so she could barely hear anything. 

"What? I didn't say anything," Keith laughed.


	34. Chapter 34

The day before The Who left on tour, Cheryl paid a visit to Pete in the studio. He was sitting alone in the recording room, wearing his headphones with his back to the door. Cheryl chuckled quietly; she could hear some of the music he was listening to from across the room. She slowly walked over to him, standing next to him. He looked up from his work and smiled at her.

He pushed a button, and suddenly the music stopped. He pulled the headphones down, resting them on his shoulders around his neck. "Hi," he greeted her with a smile. 

"Hi," she said, smiling back. She pulled out a chair and sat next to him, moving a hand to brush her fingers through his hair. "You should stop wearing headphones so much. Especially with all that loud music. You'll go deaf."

"Eh, I'll be fine," he said, shrugging his shoulders. She chuckled lightly and he held her other hand, intertwining her fingers with his. "So.. have you made a decision yet?" 

Cheryl nodded, biting her lip to hide her smile. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about," she explained. "What I wanted to say is I really, really want to come on tour with you."

His blue eyes lit up as he smiled at her. "Really? You really mean it?"

"Of course I do," she told him, unable to stop smiling. She flushed as he took both of her hands, leaving kisses all over them. "But we'll have to keep our distance most of the time."

He nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. "As long as we get to see each other," he told her. She smiled at him again as she brought him closer, pulling him into a quick kiss. "Are you sure it's going to be alright?"

"Don't worry about a thing," he reassured her. "It'll be alright." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before kissing her lips again. She kissed him back, stroking some of his hair before pulling away.

She looked around the studio nervously. "Is there anyone else here?" she asked with a laugh. 

"No. It's just you and me for a while," he laughed. He pulled her closer to him, kissing her again. She kissed him back for a while and then pulled away, giggling. She kissed all over his cheek and hugged him around the neck. He hummed softly, hugging her waist and nuzzling in her neck. "I'm so glad you finally said yes."

"So am I," she told him. Then, she moved onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. He gave her a brisk smile, giving her another quick kiss on the lips. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think we'd be kissing like this." She laughed out loud.

"Neither did I," he replied, laughing along with her. They both sighed quietly as Pete stroked some of her hair. She rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling some of his cologne. "To be completely honest, I kind of hated you at first." 

She pulled away from him, laughing again. "I hated you at first too," she told him, making him laugh. "I thought you were such an arrogant bastard."

"And I thought you were a stuck up bitch," he told her truthfully before giving her another long, deep kiss on the lips. 

"Am I?" she asked him curiously, her lips gently brushing against his. 

"No," he said, pecking her lips sweetly. "Am I an arrogant bastard?" She shook her head before kissing him again, quickly deepening the kiss. When they both pulled away to catch their breath, she sat between his legs and leaned back on him. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against hers, spinning the chair to face the table.

"Do I get to listen to some of your music?" she asked him.

"That depends; are you going to complain about the volume again?" he teased her. Her eyebrows narrowed and she shook her head. "Good." He took his headphones off and put them on her instead while Cheryl prepared herself. 

When he pushed the button, she listened as a catchy guitar riff started playing. It seemed like it was loud enough to fill entire room. Then, Roger began to sing. "Well, I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm gonna raise a holler. 'Bout workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar." She smiled the entire time she was listening. If only she started listening to their music sooner. "Sometimes I wonder what am I gonna do. 'Cause there ain't no cure for the summertime blues."

Then, the catchy riff started playing again and she smiled at Pete. "You're really talented," she told him loudly through the music. He laughed as backed away from her; she was talking a bit louder than she anticipated. 

"Thank you," he told her loudly. 

"Well' I went to my congressman, he said, quote, 'I'd like to help you son, but you're too young to vote.' Sometimes I wonder what am I gonna do. 'Cause there ain't no cure for the summertime blues." As the last guitar chord was strummed, Cheryl took off her headphones and smiled brightly. 

"Well?" Pete asked her.

"It's really good," she told him with a smile. "You probably already know that, though."

Pete chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Meh."

Cheryl playfully slapped his arm. "Hey, don't put yourself down like that," she scolded him. "You guys so talented. All of you."

"Thanks," Pete told her. Cheryl gave him a look. "No, I mean it. Thank you."

"Anytime," she told him, leaning in for another kiss.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Cheryl accompanied the band on tour, but they had to make some things clear with the rest of the band (by lying to them, naturally). They told them that Cheryl was accompanying them as a roadie and nothing more. Then, they made them swear not to tell Pamela about it, or anyone for that matter. Even though John and Roger were relatively trustworthy, Pete was still worried about Keith. One way or another, they had a feeling he would let it slip out. 

On the bus, all of the members were scattered around, minding their own business. Roger was reading in his own room, John and Keith were drinking and smoking near the front of the bus, and Pete and Cheryl were in his own room, reading and talking. Her head was on his lap as she laid across the seat, sitting with him in silence. She set her book down, looking up at him. 

"What are you going to do when we come back home?" she asked him. "Take a break?"

Pete chuckled, setting his book down. "I wish. We're going to start recording our new album as soon as we get back." 

"What's the album like?" she asked him curiously.

"It's about a deaf, dumb and blind boy that develops some sort of inner psyche," he answered. "It's all about his relationships with his family, stuff like that."

She smiled brightly. "No way. Did you come up with that yourself?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Did you write all the songs yourself?"

"For the most part, yeah."

She looked up at him, smiling proudly. "You're brilliant, you know that?"

His cheeks grew red and Cheryl smiled even more. "If you say so," he chuckled. She shifted around so she was sitting on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

"Can I hear one of them?" she asked him. He laughed.

"We haven't recorded any of them yet, remember?"

"I know," she laughed. "I want to hear you sing."

Pete shook his head. "You're just going to have to wait to hear it," he told her. She sighed dramatically, resting her head on his chest. He cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing a few strands of her hair away. "Thanks for coming along with me."

"Thank you for having me," she said to him, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips. "It's been nice to get away." 

"Really? I thought everything was going great for you. At least that's what you tell me all the time." He laughed.

She smiled briefly, shrugging her shoulders. "Sometimes it's nice to just take a break, you know?" 

"I see," he nodded, pecking her lips sweetly. "I'm still really glad you came."

"So am I." She kissed his lips deeply, closing her eyes. When they heard loud footsteps coming down the hall, she quickly pulled off of his lap and opened her book, trying to look busy. He did the same, pulling out his book and pretending to read.

The door to their compartment swung open, and Roger made himself at home. "Hello," he muttered, sitting across from the two of them. They both looked up from their books, nodding before looking down again.

"Can we help you, Roger?" Pete asked him in an annoyed tone.

"No, I was just getting bored," Roger answered. "How are you, Cheryl?" 

"I'm fine, thanks," she answered with a quick smile. "And you?"

"Just fine." The three of them stayed quiet for a while, staying busy. Cheryl shifted around in her seat nervously. The quiet was starting to get a bit unsettling. "Pete, how's Pamela?"

Pete looked up at Roger and his lips pressed into a thin line. "She's alright." At this time, Cheryl's heart was pounding so hard she thought it would jump out of her chest.

"Good to hear," Roger answered. 

"How's Jackie?" Pete asked him bitterly. Roger scowled and stood up, leaving their compartment and slamming the door shut. They both sighed in relief, throwing their books down. "Thank god that's over."

Cheryl laughed nervously. "Yeah."


	35. Chapter 35

Since Jackie was not doing well since the divorce, Pamela decided to pay her and Simon a visit. Jackie led her into their new flat, where they sat down on the couch together. She held Simon on her lap, who was acting very shy; hiding his face in his mother's shoulder and turning bright red. Pamela smiled softly at him before looking at Jackie, who was staring at the floor. 

"How have you been?" she asked her quietly. 

She took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "As good as I can be, I suppose," she chuckled sadly. "Just been thinking a lot lately. I should have known better."

"What do you mean by that?" Pamela tilted her head to the side, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Just that.." she chuckled and looked away, her eyes slowly beginning to fill up with tears. "I should have known it was too good to be true." Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a handkerchief out of her pocket, quickly dabbing the corner of her eyes. She didn't want Simon to see her cry; she knew she had to stay strong for him. 

Pamela watched her sadly and nodded her head, unsure of what to say. Some things just really are too good to be true. "You really loved him, didn't you?" she asked, tearing up a bit as well.

"With all my heart," she answered with a small smile. Pulling out her handkerchief, her eyes began to fill with tears again. "I thought he loved me too. I just don't understand why I wasn't good enough for him. I tried so.." At that moment, she couldn't stop herself from crying. The tears came streaming down her cheeks as chin quivered. "I tried so hard to be good enough for him."

"Don't say that." Pamela wrapped her arms around the two of them and hugged them tightly. The fabric on the sleeve of her shirt was getting damp from Jackie's tears falling down. "You're absolutely perfect. Roger is an idiot."

Jackie chuckled sadly as she pulled away from her, wiping her tears. "He's perfect. God, I love him so much," she sniffed. "I guess we're just not right for each other." Unsure of how to respond, Pamela just nodded sadly. "Enough about me. How are you and Pete?"

Pamela looked down at her lap. "Not doing so well."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's alright." Pamela gave her friend a reassuring smile, which quickly faded. "I just don't know how things are going to turn out for us sometimes."

"You don't think.." Jackie didn't want to finish, but she didn't even have to. Pamela immediately knew what she meant.

"No. We love each other too much for that," she said, hoping to God it was true.

Jackie nodded. "Well, I wish you both the best. Divorce can be a terrible thing. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Or my closest friend, for that matter." She gave Pamela a sweet yet sad smile.

"I hope things work out for us too."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Los Angeles, California 

Sneaking around on tour was not easy. Cheryl regretted lying about being a roadie, since she knew nothing about music equipment. Sometimes she was given instructions or orders, but very seldom followed them. Usually she would find ways to sneak away, hiding somewhere backstage to watch them perform. Then, before they were done performing, she snuck out and took a taxi to the hotel room she shared with Pete. 

One night, she was laying asleep in bed under the covers, waiting for Pete to come back. She left earlier that night since she was feeling a bit tired. Going on the tour had been nice for her; she had actually been able to get a good night's sleep every night. And she was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time. Pete knew how to make her happy without even trying.

While she was still asleep, Pete entered the room quietly and sneakily. Every night he had to pray that Keith, John and Roger would leave the two of them alone. In fact, he told them to leave him alone every night, and surprisingly, they always did. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. 

He stepped in the room, setting his guitar case down and taking off his coat, throwing it on a chair nearby. Cheryl shifted around in the bed, opening her eyes. She smiled sleepily as she saw him. "How did it go?" she asked him quietly.

"Great," he whispered to her. She looked away while he took off his stage clothes, changing into something more comfortable. "You can uncover your eyes now," he laughed quietly. She smiled as she did so, looking at him with bright eyes. 

"You look really nice," she told him honestly, making him laugh again. 

"Thank you," he said, making sure to stay quiet. He crawled into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her. She hugged him softly, kissing his lips sweetly. He held onto her waist as he kissed her back, getting lost in the moment. She let out a soft sigh against his lips as she rested her hand on his cheek.

It took her a moment before she realized that he was on top of her, holding both of her hands. She smiled quickly against his lips, intertwining her fingers with his. He moved his lips down to her neck, leaving sweet kisses and biting down softly. She moaned quietly as her heart started racing. 

Then, he moved his hands down to the hem of her nighty, pulling it up to her thighs. She inhaled sharply and pulled away, pulling her skirt back down. He looked at her sadly, feeling guilty. "I am so sorry-"

"No, it's not you. It's me," she interrupted. "I just can't do this. I can't take it too far."

He nodded. "I understand," he told her, kissing her hand. "Can I ask why?"

"I'm just tired," she lied. "That's all, I promise. I am so so sorry-"

"That's alright," he said to her with a smile. He pecked her lips sweetly, brushing some of her hair. "I'm getting tired too, anyways." 

She smiled at him, pulling him to lay down with her. "I bet you're a lot more tired than I am," she said, resting her head on his chest. "You're such a hard worker. I shouldn't be complaining."

He chuckled, stroking her cheek softly. "Don't you worry about a thing," he told her sweetly. "You have every right to be tired."

She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "Thank you for bringing me," she said. He chuckled softly; she said this to him at least three times a day. "You make me so happy."

"Believe me, you make me so happy too," he told her. He kissed her forehead and held her closer, sighing quietly. "I haven't been this happy in a long time."

"Neither have I," she told him truthfully. They both smiled at each other, blushing softly. He leaned in and kissed her lips again, softer and sweeter that time. She brushed her fingers through his hair, bringing him closer when there was a knock at the door. 

Pete was so startled he nearly bit her lip and she jumped. They both panicked, unsure of what to do. Just then, there was another knock at the door. Cheryl dove under the covers, and Pete straightened the duvet out a bit. He groaned loudly as he heard another knock. "Oi, shut up, I'm coming!"

He opened the door to see Keith leaning against the door frame with a smirk. One of his hands was behind his back, but Pete ignored that. He just wanted him gone. "Can I help you?" Pete asked bitterly.

"Can I come in?" Keith asked. Before Pete could answer, he pushed past him and into the hotel room. 

"Make yourself at home," Pete muttered bitterly. Just then, Keith pulled out a small axe from behind his back. Pete backed away, his eyes widened. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

Keith laughed out loud. "Pete, calm down! Have you never seen an axe before?"

"Obviously I've seen one before! I'm just terrified seeing it in your hands!"

"Well, I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you were thinking." Keith swung the axe around, making Pete back away again out of precaution. He looked around the room, humming softly. His eyes came to a chair next to the bed and he grinned. "This looks like a nice chair," he remarked.

"Keith, get out," Pete said, pushing him away. "I'm not in the mood."

Keith pouted. "You're always in the mood to destroy a hotel room. You're acting really strange this tour."

"What are you talking about?" Pete asked nonchalantly. "I'm acting normal. Unlike you."

"No, you're not," Keith laughed, swinging the axe over his shoulder and making Pete jump again. "You've been keeping to yourself a lot lately. You usually like drinking with us after shows. But lately, you've just been hiding in your hotel room."

"Something wrong with that?" Pete asked him sassily. 

"I think you're hiding something," Keith said with a mischievous smile. "What's her name?"

Pete furrowed his eyebrows. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"What's her name?" Keith repeated. 

"There's no one," Pete lied. "Now get out, please. I don't want to get involved in any of your crazy antics tonight; I'm not in the mood."

Keith pouted again as he went towards the exit. Pete sighed quietly in relief as he watched him, then groaned quietly as he turned around. Keith pointed the axe towards Pete. "Next hotel we're staying at, you have to promise to pull a prank with us," Keith told him.

"No," Pete groaned. Keith gave him a look, making Pete roll his eyes. "We'll see."

Keith smiled proudly. "Goodnight, Pete!" he called out, slamming the door shut.

Just then, Cheryl popped out from under the covers, gasping for air. She laughed quietly as she brushed through her staticky hair. He laughed along with her, straightening her hair out. "Sorry about that," he said. 

"It's not your fault," she told him, kissing his cheek. She put a hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath. Pete gave her a concerned look, making her laugh. "Don't worry about me, I'll be alright." 

"Thank god," he laughed, pecking her lips. Once she caught her breath again, she kissed his lips deeply, draping her arms around him. Just then, there was yet another knock at the door. They both groaned as she hid, jumping under the bed that time. 

He reluctantly opened the door to see John. "Hey Pete," he greeted him quietly with a smile. "Do you want to go get a drink?" 

Pete sighed. "I'm sorry, John. I'm really tired. Tomorrow night, alright?"

"Alright," John nodded. "Sorry to bother you."

"It's alright," Pete said. "See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight." 

Pete shut the door and Cheryl came out from under the bed, laying down on the mattress. She sighed heavily, getting under the covers, Pete quickly following suit. He turned off the lamp and held her close. "Goodnight," he said to her.

"Goodnight, Pete." She gave him one last kiss on the cheek before they both fell asleep. 


	36. Chapter 36

August 1968

The tour was finally almost over. They had one last concert in New York with the Doors and Kangaroo and then they were finally going to go back to England the next morning. Currently, Roger and John were trying to relax in their own compartments, Keith was drinking alone, and Cheryl and Pete were relaxing in their own compartment. She was sitting on his lap with her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. 

They both stayed quiet for a while, just enjoying each other's company. Then, Cheryl spoke up, looking up at him with a grin. "I still can't believe you wrote that huge description on the new album," she said, laughing quietly. "How many pages was it, again? 7? 8?"

"11," Pete answered flatly. Cheryl responded with a laugh, making Pete fake an annoyed expression. "That's enough of that, thank you." Although he was trying to be serious, he couldn't hide a small smile. 

Cheryl smiled genuinely at him. "What's it going to be called?"

"The title is still a work in progress. I'm thinking about Deaf, Dumb and Blind Boy. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a mouthful," Cheryl remarked with a chuckle. Pete sighed and reluctantly nodded his head.

"Yeah, you're right. Eh, we'll come up with something." He shrugged his shoulders, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I'm sure whatever you come up with will be great. As usual." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the tip of his nose. 

Pete smiled at her. "Thank you."

"Of course." She gave him a small kiss, which shortly led to a heated make-out session. The two of them got so lost in the moment that they barely heard the door swing open. They only jumped up in shock when Keith dropped his magazine on the floor, making a loud noise. 

The three of them looked at each other in shock, completely unsure of what to say. As the seconds passed by, Keith was looking increasingly pissed off. Finally, Pete spoke up. "I can explain-"

"Alright, then let's hear it," Keith said. He folded his arms, leaning against the door frame. "Explain yourself." Pete and Cheryl were both at a loss for words. When they didn't say anything else, Keith scoffed. "I don't even know who you are anymore, Pete." 

"What are you talking about?" Pete asked in an annoyed tone. "I'm still Pete."

"The Pete I know would never do anything to hurt his wife."

"Oh fantastic," Pete said sarcastically. "Getting lessons on relationships from you, of all people."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You better just hope I don't tell Pamela about this."

"Don't you fucking dare. She deserves to hear it from me, not from you."

He stayed quiet. He knew deep down he was telling the truth, but he wanted to tell her so badly. Then maybe she could finally leave Pete and be with him. But he couldn't hurt either of his friends. No matter how mad he was at Pete. "Fine." He finally left the two of them alone, slamming the door behind him.

The reality of the situation suddenly hit Cheryl like a ton of bricks. She looked at Pete as she slowly started to tear up. "I'm so sorry Pete!" she exclaimed, hiding her face in her hands. "I ruined everything, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't," he said, holding her closer to him and rubbing her back. "It's not your fault at all, it's mine."

She finally uncovered her face, looking at him through teary eyes. "I love you Pete," she finally admitted through sobs. "I've wanted to be with you since the day we met. You're the only person I can really be myself around. You're the only person who makes me laugh, who makes me truly happy. And now you're married to my best friend and things will never work out for us!" She hid her face again as she sobbed.

He gently pulled her hands away, looking in her eyes as she slowly began to quiet down. "I love you too, Cheryl," he told her. "Things might not be working out for us right now, but I just know they will in the future. It doesn't matter when because I'll be waiting for you."

"That could be years from now!" Cheryl cried. "If it ever even happens!"

"I don't care if we don't get married until we're eighty. I'm waiting for you for as long as it takes." He brushed some of her hair, gently pulling it away from her eyes.

She smiled as she sniffed, wiping some of her tears away. "Why do you have to be so wonderful?" she asked him, trying not to cry again. 

"I ask myself the same thing about you everyday," he told her before kissing her lips. She kissed him back deeply, wrapping her arms around him. They pulled away after a moment, getting lost in each other's eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she said before kissing all over his face. She rested her head on his shoulder, leaving a few kisses on his jawline. "Thank you for always giving me hope."

"You always give me hope too," he told her, hugging her tightly. Staying there with each other, the two of them both had a feeling that everything was going to be alright. Not right away, but eventually. 

"What are we going to do?" she asked him.

He took a deep breath before sighing heavily. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we'll figure that out, alright? Don't worry about a thing." 

She nodded. "Alright. I'll try not to." She hugged him around the waist, pulling herself closer to him. He quietly began to hum to her as she closed her eyes, trying to relax. 

The one thing she hated about being with Pete is that she wanted these moments to last forever, until she realized they couldn't. Soon, they would both be back home to their terrible lives, separating from each other for who knows how long. For now, all the two of them could do was live in the moment. 


	37. Chapter 37

December 1968 

Things were going pretty well for everyone, surprisingly. After Cheryl came back from tour, Mark finally left her. It wasn't easy; he was really, really angry with her at first. But after he was gone, for the first time in a long time she felt free and happy. As a result, she was finally able to spend more time with Pete. Keith was able to spend more time with Pamela as well, which made him really happy, obviously. And Roger and John were still doing great, as far as everyone else knew.

Currently, Cheryl was waiting backstage with the rest of the band on the set of the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. It was around 3 PM, and they were waiting for Jethro Tull to finish performing so they could set up their equipment. Pete held onto his guitar tightly, biting his lip nervously. Cheryl noticed and rested her hand on his arm. 

"You're going to do amazing," she told him. He smiled sweetly at her before they both went back to watching the performance. Once they finished, Cheryl gave Pete a quick kiss on the lips. "Good luck."

"Thank you," he said. Cheryl went back to her seat next to Pamela in the audience as The Who started setting up their equipment. The cameramen turned off the cameras and helped them set up for a while. Thank goodness they were given large raincoats and hats to wear; it was getting a little bit cold. 

Pamela and Cheryl looked around the audience, trying to spot any familiar faces. They noticed Brian Jones, who was wearing a colorful suit with a red hat with devil horns, talking to Keith Richards, who was wearing a black suit with a top hat and eye patch. Both of their eyes widened as they looked at each other. "We have to go talk to them!" Pamela exclaimed. 

"As much as I want to, they're probably really busy," Cheryl said with a sad sigh. Pamela nodded sadly. "You have to admit, that's not a bad look on Keith at all."

The two of them laughed as he pulled out a cigar, lighting it up and taking a long drag from it. "You know what, you're right," Pamela admitted. "He doesn't as look good as Pete, though."

"Yeah," Cheryl muttered. She looked out at Pete, who was setting up microphones on the "stage." He turned around, giving Cheryl a bright smile (which Pamela naturally thought was for her). She smiled back at him, blowing him a discreet kiss.

Pamela quickly tapped Cheryl's shoulder. "I think we're going to start rolling again," she said. Cheryl smiled brightly, waiting in excitement. Once the cameraman gave everyone the signal, he started rolling. The camera panned to Keith, who was smoking his cigar.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, dig The Who," he said. 

Then, the camera panned to the group, who were all huddled together by Keith's drums. They all sang in unison, singing different harmonies, "Her man's been gone for nigh on a year. He was due home yesterday, but he ain't here. Her man's been gone for nigh on a year. He was due home yesterday, but he ain't here."

Pete played the guitar riff effortlessly, and Keith started banging on his drums like a madman. Pamela and Cheryl both smiled brightly as they watched, but it wasn't just them. The whole audience seemed so captivated by the band. "Down your street your crying is a well-known sound. Your street is very well known throughout town. Your town is very famous for the little girl whose crying can be heard all around the world."

They played with so much energy, just like usual. Some mistakes were made, for example, Pete reached over to tune one of his strings at the speed of light, and once after he did the "windmill arm" to strum his guitar, he knocked over a microphone behind him and it hit Keith in the face. However, they were still on time and it didn't affect their performance. The audience barely even noticed.

Pete gave Cheryl a quick smile before singing along with Roger and John. "We have a remedy you'll appreciate. No need to feel so bad, he's only late. We'll bring you flowers and things, help pass your time. We'll give him eagle's wings then he can fly to you." 

Cheryl had no idea how he managed to hit the notes on time whenever he spun his arm around in a circle. Everything about their performance was perfect. The vocals, the riffs, the drumming, the energy, everything. They continued to sing, harmonizing, "We have a remedy. Fa la la la la la la. We have a remedy. Fa la la la la la la. We have a remedy. Fa la la la la la la."

Then, Pete stepped up to the microphone, singing, "We have a remedy: little girl guide, why don't you stop your crying? Here comes Ivor the dirty old city engine driver to make you feel alright." 

Pamela was looking at Keith the whole time, who was making so many funny faces. She couldn't help but laugh at his expressions and movements. Somehow, he managed to put the heavy floor tom on top of his kit and still come in on time. "We'll soon, soon, soon be home. We'll soon be home, soon be home."

Then, Keith tossed he tom off his kit and hurled it behind him, still coming in on time. How?! "Dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang. Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello. Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello. Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello. Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello."

While the audience was still completely enthralled, Pete sang into the microphone, "I can't believe it. Do my eyes deceive me? Am I back in your arms? Away from all harm? It's like a dream to be with you again. Can't believe that I'm with you again. I missed you and I must admit I kissed a few and once did sit on Ivor the Engine Driver's lap and later with him, had a nap."

He sang again, this time with John singing the harmony, hitting impressive high notes. "You are forgiven. You are forgiven. You are forgiven. You are forgiven. You are forgiven. You are forgiven." At this time, it seemed like they had more energy than they did when they started. Keith had somehow managed to pour water on his drums, which splashed up in the air every time he hit them. Pete kept circling his arm around, jumping up and down. The audience was already clapping and cheering for them. 

After that went on for a while, they quieted down as John sang in a high falsetto, "Baby, you are forgiven." Roger and Pete started singing with him again as Pete strummed the last few notes on his guitar.

"You are all forgiven," Pete said into the microphone with a smirk. He and Keith both played a few more notes, ending with a bang, and that was the end of their performance. 

The audience went crazy. Many of them stood up, clapping and cheering loudly for them. Pamela and Cheryl stood up, clapping and cheering as loudly as they could. Cheryl caught Pete's eye and he gave her a quick smile before helping the rest of the band put their equipment away. 

Once they were finished, they joined Pamela and Cheryl in the audience. Cheryl quickly stood up, pulling Pete into a huge hug. "That was bloody brilliant!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. 

"Thank you," he said, sitting next to her. Cheryl congratulated the rest of the band as well, telling them how amazing they were. 

Meanwhile, Pamela pulled Keith into a large hug as he sat next to her. "You were amazing!" she told him. "How did you throw your drum off the kit and manage to come back in on time? And pour water all over your drums?" 

Keith just smirked at her. "Sorry, its a trade secret."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

By the time they were done filming the movie, it was almost 5 o'clock in the morning. Morale was low and everyone was exhausted. Pamela and Cheryl stayed along with the band to put away their gear. Everyone tried not to complain about being exhausted and hot while having to carry the heavy gear around, but it was getting difficult. 

They got a chance to talk to the rest of the Rolling Stones as they were getting ready to leave. "That was really fun, guys. Thank you for having us," Roger said to Mick. 

"Oh yeah, no problem," Mick said. Cheryl furrowed her eyebrows; he was obviously bitter about something.

"So, when's the film going to be released?" Pete asked them curiously. No one said a word. Mick looked at Keith, Keith looked at Brian, Pete looked at Mick and Keith, and Mick looked at Brian. Just then, Mick put on a fake smile. 

"We'll be in touch," he told him, leaving the room. Keith and Brian eventually followed suit, leaving the Who and the girls to their business. 

"I wonder what all that was about," Keith thought out loud. 

Pamela laughed out loud. "Isn't it obvious? They're jealous of you guys because you performed better than them."

Roger chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far. I'm pretty sure they're just tired."

"We're all tired, Roger," John informed him with a sigh. 

"Luckily one of our roadies is here to help us clean up," Keith joked, giving Cheryl a look. Pete and Cheryl suddenly went pale. Pamela gave them all a confused look. 

"What?" Pamela asked the three of them with a laugh. "What are you talking about? Cheryl's definitely not a roadie. Have you seen her try to lift a sack of flour?" She was the only one in the group who laughed besides Keith, who laughs at everything. 

It didn't take Pamela long to put two and two together. The two of them were staying way too quiet. Her face going pale, she turned her back on the group and stormed towards the exit. Pete and Cheryl raced towards her. "Pam, wait!"

When they finally caught up to her, Pamela turned around and slapped Pete hard across the face. His heart sank as he put a hand to his cheek. Cheryl's eyes widened and became misty as she pushed Pamela away from him. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" 

"Shut the fuck up, you cock-sucking bitch!" Pamela snapped, slapping Cheryl that time. Before she could even try to defend herself, Pamela tackled her to the ground. She slapped her again before Cheryl shrieked and tried to push her hands away. Cheryl didn't want to do anything to hurt her friend, so all she did was try to push her off. 

Finally to her relief, Roger helped Pete pull Pamela off of her. She kicked her legs and tried to no avail to break free from them. "Calm down, Pam. You're just tired," Roger told her.

"No, I'm pissed off!" she exclaimed, breaking free. "Now I know how Jackie feels!" Roger looked down in shame while Pamela looked back and forth from Pete to Cheryl. "Fuck you both." She stormed out of the tent, leaving the three of them alone in shock. 

Pete immediately went to Cheryl, wrapping his arms around her. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

She nodded, bringing a shaky hand to his cheek. "I'm more worried about you," she said.

"Don't worry about me," he told her. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she cried softly on his shirt. "I'm so sorry-"

"What are you two going to do?" Roger asked them. "You've got yourself in a bit of a tricky situation, here."

They both shrugged. "We'll figure it out," Pete sighed. "Eventually."


	38. Chapter 38

Pamela was crying on Keith's shoulder, which she had been doing every day for the past week. Jackie let her stay at her house for a little while, but she still visited Keith every day to talk to him. Currently, Keith was holding her close on his lap while she cried hysterically on him. All he could do was rub her back comfortingly and brush her hair. Sometimes, he would crack on occasional joke to make her smile. It worked most of the time, but not always.

Once she was calmed down, he pulled out a pile of Kleenex and gave them to her. She wiped the tears and mascara off her cheeks, then wiped her nose. "Thank you," she told him. 

"Anytime," he said, giving her a sad smile. She hugged him around the neck and he patted her back. "Do you want to talk about it now?"

She nodded, resting her head back on his shoulder. "I don't know what to do, Keith," she said as she tried not to start sobbing again. "I love him so much, I want to be with him for the rest of my life. But I hate him so much right now."

Keith thought about what to say for a moment, hoping that it wasn't obvious that what she said was the last thing he wanted to hear. "Maybe you're not actually in love with him?" he suggested as he shrugged his shoulders. "What I mean is, what if you're just in love with the idea of him. The idea of spending the rest of your life with someone wonderful."

She looked down at the floor, pondering his suggestions. Was it possible that he was right? Was she so enamoured with the thought of having someone to love that she settled for one of the first guy she met? As much as she didn't want to believe it, she was starting to understand how that might have been what happened.

"Keith, I think you're right," she said. His heart started pounding and he held his breath. "Everyone wants that 'fairytale life,' being married to someone so wonderful."

Keith smiled hopefully to himself. Finally, he thought.

Then, it hit her: maybe things didn't have to be that way. She had to at least try. "But I love Pete so much and care about him," she said, making all of his hope vanish just as fast as it appeared. "I understand now that being married isn't easy. If I really loved him, I'd give him another chance."

Fuck no! 

He sighed quietly. "You know, that's exactly what I meant," he lied to her as he put on a bright smile. She smiled back at him, hugging him tightly and making him laugh sadly. "So, what are you going to do now?"

She jumped up from her seat, straightening out her dress and brushing her fingers through her tangled hair. "I'm going to go back to him." No. No. No!! "Thank you so much, Keith. You've really helped me."

"Oh, anytime." He laughed nervously as he stood up, pulling her into a tight hug. She gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek which made him blush, as usual. He quickly returned the favor, making her smile at him.

"When did you become so wise?" she laughed. 

"I've always been wise," he answered with a smirk. She smiled at him before walking out the door, sprinting down the street. "Keith, who are you kidding? You're an idiot if you think she's ever going to fall for you."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Cheryl and Pete both sat out on the sand, staring at the waves in silence. Neither of them wanted to say a word; they knew what would happen if they did. Somehow, they both knew what was on each other's minds, and they didn't want to address it at all. Cheryl tried her best not to cry as she hugged her knees to her chest. 

Pete looked down at the side, unwilling to say a word. He traced patterns in the sand to keep busy. Every minute, no, every second that passed by felt like hours.

"What's going on, Pete?" she finally asked him. Pete wouldn't look up. He couldn't face her just yet. "Pete.." A single tear fell from her eye, which she quickly wiped away.

"She doesn't want to divorce," he finally said. "She wants to give me another chance."

Cheryl's heart nearly stopped pounding as she heard those words. "Oh," she said, her voice breaking. "What are you going to do?" 

"I don't want to hurt her anymore than I already have. So I'm going to try again with her." Still, he wouldn't look up at her.

"I understand." Suddenly, she felt cold. She rubbed her arms shakily, her eyes filling up with tears. At that point, all she could do was lie. "I'm happy for you."

"No you're not," he laughed sadly without skipping a beat. Cheryl chuckled quietly and wiped her tears away. "But it's alright. This is all just a big fucking mess."

She nodded, unsure of what to say next. All of the memories she had with him on tour came rushing through her head. Kissing him, holding him, talking with him until late at night, holding his hand, crying with him. Who else was she supposed to share that with but him? Now, it's all over.

She barely even noticed the tears falling down her cheeks. Pete finally looked up at her. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"No," she answered without holding back her sobs. He wrapped an arm around her and she cried on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Pete. I feel so guilty."

"What are you sorry for?" he asked her, furrowing his eyebrows. Tears started to form in his blue eyes, as well. "You've done nothing wrong. In fact, I don't regret anything I did with you one fucking bit."

She looked up at him with a quivering smile. "Really?" 

"Of course," he answered. "I meant everything I said to you. I want to be with you someday and I know I will."

"I want to be with you now," she cried, making him laugh sadly as he rubbed her back. "I've never wanted anything as badly as I've wanted you."

"You'll have me someday," he said. "I don't know when, but I know it will happen eventually."

She shook her head. "Pete, I want to believe that so badly. But I can't anymore."

His face grew pale and his eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean I think it's time to give up," she answered, starting to cry harder and harder. 

"No," Pete argued, shaking his head. "No."

"Yes, Pete," she argued. "You're so wonderful and I will never stop being head over heels in love with you. But this will never work out, no matter how much we believe or how badly we want it to."

Tears quickly started streaming down Pete's cheeks like rain on a window. "Come on, you don't actually mean that."

"I do," she said. "That's why I'm leaving."

Pete's eyes widened and his heart stopped. "Leaving? Where?"

"Anywhere. I can't be here anymore."

"No. Cheryl, I'm begging you. Please don't leave."

"I have to," she said, standing up. She brushed the sand off of her and Pete quickly stood up, grabbing her hands. "I can't do this anymore."

She turned to leave, but he quickly pulled her back. "Do I still at least get to talk to you?" he asked.

"No," she said, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry, Pete. It has to be this way."

"No, Cheryl, it doesn't!" he exclaimed. "You know that I'm in love with you, don't you?" 

"Of course I know that-"

"Then stay! We both know things aren't going to work with me and Pam this time around."

"So what am I supposed to do until then, just sit around and wait for your marriage to fall apart? No, Pete. I have to move on. Somehow."

Once again, she turned to leave, but he pulled her back to him. "You know I'm never going to be able to move on."

"You have to," she said, trying to pull away from him and failing. 

"No-"

"Yes, Pete!" she cried. "Don't let me ruin your chance at happiness again."

"Cheryl, you are my happiness! You know that!" Neither of them could take it anymore. Pete crashed his lips onto hers as he held onto her waist. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave him one last passionate kiss before pulling away from him. 

She wiped away her tears. "Goodbye, Pete." Before he could say or do anything to stop her, she ran off and left him alone. 


	39. Chapter 39

March 1971

The year 1971 had barely even started and it was not the greatest year for the band. Soon after the very successful album, Tommy, was released, they had plans for a new album. Or rather, Pete had ideas for a new album and no one else knew what the hell he was talking about. Ever since Cheryl left in 1968, his stress and anxiety grew. He had even started taking drugs and drinking a lot more alcohol, partially to help calm his extreme anxiety and partially to 'shine a new light' when it came to writing. 

Much to the surprise of everyone, he and Pamela were still together. Not happily, but still together, nonetheless. She had even started taking drugs as well, mainly to fit in with the crowd. Drug use seemed to be the 'new normal' in London; everyone had to be a part of it. However, it hardly helped as much as everyone said it did. In fact, in some cases (Pete and Pamela's, for example), it made everything much worse. 

There were a lot of days that year that made everyone in the band worry that they were going to break up. There were fist fights, arguments, excessive amounts of drug and alcohol use, and more. Pete alone had had a lot of bad days, but not one nearly as bad as one particular day of March 1971.

Currently, The Who was in a hotel room with their manager, Kit Lambert. Everyone was surprised that Pete had not already passed out from the amount of Rémy Martin he had already drank. Then again, it seemed that everyone else was in the same situation, except for Roger. Pete sat in front of them all, trying desperately to get them on the same page as him. 

"Basically, everyone's put to sleep somehow; they can't think for themselves... Except there are these suits that they keep them in that keep them..alive, given to them by the government. And rock music is banned, because it can wake the people up...But they're not allowed to wake up, they can't wake up. That's why-"

"Pete, what the hell are you talking about?" John asked him, shaking his head.

"No, you don't get it-" Pete started.

"Yeah, you're right. We don't get it," Roger laughed. "You've officially lost your mind."

"Wait, but then there are these grids on them that somehow feed them music with wires. All you have to do-"

Keith quickly interrupted. "Wait, I think I understand. You put a penny in the suit and get wanked off," he cackled. John and Roger laughed along with him while Pete glared at them, fuming. Meanwhile, Kit sighed and wiped his forehead, looking down at the floor.

"No, there's so much more to it than that-"

"So you push a penny in and get a candy bar shoved up your-"

"Guys, come on-" Kit started, but he was quickly interrupted.

"You just don't get it!" Pete yelled, shooting up from his seat. The smiles quickly faded from Keith, John and Roger's faces. Kit suddenly looked up and shifted in his seat, getting ready for the worst. "This is supposed to be the greatest fucking Who album of all time!"

"Pete, it's not Tommy-" Roger started.

"It's better than Tommy!" Pete snapped. At this point, he was breathing heavily. He ran a hand through his hair, which had grown quite longer. "It has to be! It will be!" 

Everyone sat in silence, unsure of what to say next. What were they supposed to say? There was nothing they could say or do to make the situation any less awful than it already was. At that moment, Pete couldn't take it anymore. He stormed across the room to the window. As he swung it open, Kit raced to him at the speed of light. Before Pete could toss himself out the window, Kit grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back into the room. He quickly shut the window and locked it.

"No!" he screamed, trying to pull away from him. The rest of the band quickly helped Kit try to calm him down, sitting him down and laying him on the bed. However, it seemed as though his bandmates were just making his bad mood worse. He kicked and swatted his arms around, trying to push them away from him. 

"I think it's best if the three of you left," Kit told them quietly. Before they could protest, he interrupted them. "No, that wasn't a request. Go on, I'll sort everything out with him." The three exchanged a look before leaving the troubled guitarist and manager alone in the hotel room.

As Pete did his best to calm his ragged breathing down, Kit rubbed up and down his back comfortingly. "Pete, what's going on?" he asked him. "What was that all about?" 

Pete started to sob uncontrollably, making Kit's heart break for him. "Everything's so fucked up," he said, his voice cracking. "The band's fucked, Lifehouse is fucked, my life's fucked, I'm fucked, Pam's fucked-"

"Why?" Kit asked him. 

Pete just sobbed harder, breathing heavily in between his cries. His breath became shakier every passing second. "I don't know," he answered. "It just is."

"Listen. We're going to fix this, alright? We'll figure the album out later, then we'll go from there, alright? It's going to get better, I promise." Pete nodded, wiping his tears away, although he was still crying quietly. Thankfully, his breathing finally calmed down. "Now you just need to get some rest, alright?" 

He laid him back down on the bed, pulling some covers over him. Then, he sat in a chair across the room. He didn't want to risk making the mistake of leaving him alone in the hotel room after what just happened. He watched over him for at least a half an hour until he finally fell asleep, then pulled out a book. They both stayed like that for the rest of the night.

Hopefully, things could only get better from there.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

September 1971 

"No one knows what it's like to be the bad man, to be the sad man behind blue eyes. And no one knows what it's like to be hated, to be faded to telling only lies."

To everyone's relief, Lifehouse was not released as an album. However, there were songs from the album that were used on Who's Next, which was called one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time. If only everyone else really knew what it took to get there.

The band was getting ready to go on another tour in October, where they would travel and play around the UK. They were nervous about how they would survive going on tour with each other again; things were not much better than they were at the beginning of the year. There were still plenty of drugs, drinks, and fist fights to go around. 

Pete was lying in bed one night, completely knackered. He stared up at the ceiling as the lay alone with his thoughts. His mind almost immediately went to Cheryl. Lord, how he missed her. Terribly, heartbreakingly, painstakingly missed her. He couldn't help but think about how much better things would be if she was there with him. 

This happened nearly every night for him. Hot, blinding tears began to form in his eyes as he reminisced the memories he shared with her. Late night talks, secret kisses, sneaking around backstage, crying together, holding each other.. 

Now everything has changed. Why? Things were so perfect just the way they were. Cheryl was the only person who kept him sane when he felt as though he was losing his mind. Now she's gone, along with all hope he had for himself.

Then the bedroom door opened. Pamela's eyes went to him and she gave him a brief smile before stripping into a short nighty in front of him. He barely paid her any attention, completely invested in the movie in his mind. With a soft sigh, she laid next to him, wrapping an arm around him. 

He finally turned his head over to look at her and she gave him a soft smile before kissing his lips sweetly. He lazily kissed back, slowly closing his eyes. She giggled against his lips; hers were briskly brushing against his beard. After a moment she moved her lips to his neck, leaving a few kisses and eventually a few bites. He sighed and pushed her away. "Not now," he muttered.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want to," he answered flatly.

Pamela's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm not stupid," she told him. Pete had to hold himself back from saying something he would regret later. "I know you're thinking about her." Pete said nothing. "Have you seen her lately?"

"No, Pam, I haven't," he snapped with a groan.

"Well, have you talked to her?"

"No."

Pamela sat up and clenched her teeth. "Then what's the fucking point in sulking?" she asked him angrily. "You're always sulking. It's annoying as fucking hell, Pete."

"And you're clingy as hell, yet you don't hear me complaining," he argued.

"At least I actually want to be around you," Pamela said bitterly. Realizing what she said, she covered her mouth. He stood up and got changed, quietly but angrily. "Pete, I-" He shook her off, leaving the room.


	40. Chapter 40

The night before The Who left for tour, things were not going so well. Pamela was listening to one of Pete's songs for the first time in a long time. It started out as quite a lovely song that she actually enjoyed, but upon further inspection, she discovered something that made her quite angry. When she paid more attention to the lyrics, she realized what the song may have been about. 

"The song is over. It's all behind me. I should have known it. She tried to find me. Our love is over, they're all ahead now. I've got to learn it, I'm gonna to sing out."

That wasn't the only song that crossed her mind. "I'd gladly lose me to find you. I'd gladly give up all I had to find you I'd suffer anything and be glad. I'd pay any price just to get you. I'd work all my life and I will. To win you I'd stand naked, stoned and stabbed."

"Pete, what're the songs about?" she asked him, calmly at first. Something about her tone of voice was so passive-aggressive, and Pete didn't like that at all. He hated when she was in one of those moods, but then again, didn't everyone?

"Hmm?" he asked her, pretending not to hear her. She rolled her eyes; this was a common occurrence that usually led to an argument one way or another. 

"You heard me."

Pete wasn't in the mood. He obviously knew perfectly well what the song was about, but he didn't want her to know. He let his mind go elsewhere, deep in thought as a memory he shared with Cheryl came to his mind...

☽༓

The two of them walked through the sand on a quiet, dark night, hand in hand. The cold water brushed against their feet, making Cheryl giggle as she shivered. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they sat down on the white sand. They sat close enough to the water that when the waves came, it would reach their ankles.

"Hey Pete?" she asked him. 

"Hmm?" he looked over at her, staring at her profile. God, she was beautiful. Inside and out. One of the most beautiful girls he had ever met.

"Do you think you'd ever write a song about me?" she asked him shyly. 

Pete laughed softly at her timidity. Cheryl was not a very shy girl most of the time. But when she was, it was adorable. "I already have."

She blushed softly as she looked over at him in disbelief. He looked as handsome as ever, his beautiful blue eyes shining in the moonlight. "Really?" 

"Of course I have," he answered, as if it was obvious. They both smiled brightly at each other, their cheeks turning bright red.

"Well, do I get to hear it?" she laughed as she scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. 

He blushed softly, something he didn't do very often. Unless he was around her, of course. "If you really want to," he answered, tilting his head towards hers. She nodded immediately. "I don't have my guitar, though." 

"I don't care," she laughed. "I want to hear it."

He laughed softly and nodded, beginning to sing softly. "I'd gladly lose me to find you. I'd gladly give up all I had to find you I'd suffer anything and be glad. I'd pay any price just to get you. I'd work all my life and I will. To win you I'd stand naked, stoned and stabbed. I'd call that a bargain. The best I ever had. The best I ever had."

Somehow he managed to sing so softly but powerfully. She blushed the whole time she listened to him, smiling brightly. "I sit looking 'round. I look at my face in the mirror, I know I'm worth nothing without you. And like one and one don't make two, one and one make one. And I'm looking for that free ride to me, I'm looking for you."

When he finished, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly. He pulled her onto his lap while kissing her back, the air growing cold around them. She deepened the kiss and cupped his cheeks in her hands as he ran his hands through her hair. Just then, a large wave crashed over the couple, knocking them down. 

They both laughed and blushed; Cheryl ended up laying on top of him. She smiled as she leaned in to kiss him again while he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. If only moments like these could last forever...

☽༓

"Pete!" 

He snapped his head upwards to see Pamela scowling at him. He closed his eyes and sighed briskly. "What?"

"Who's the song about? Bargain, is that what it's called? What's it about?" She folded her arms, waiting for an answer. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? 

He shrugged his shoulders. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked her nonchalantly. All he could do at that point was lie. "It's about you." 

She scoffed. "No it isn't. The only song you've written about me is that depressing one."

"What do you care anyways? It's not like you even listen to them anymore."

"That's not important-"

"Then what is?"

"I know who your songs are really about, Pete," she snapped. "I know you're still with her. There's no use lying to me anymore."

Pete groaned in frustration. "For the millionth time, Cheryl's out of the fucking country. I haven't talked to her in three years."

"Then why are you still so caught up in her?!"

Pete just rolled his eyes. "You make it so hard to stay with you sometimes," was all he said. 

At this point, Pamela was fuming. "Well, why don't I make it easier for you?" she asked angrily, walking out the front door and slamming it shut. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Pamela desperately knocked on Keith's door, her hands almost shaking. She thought she heard noises from inside, as if someone was running down the stairs. Then the door swung open and Keith smiled brightly at her. "Hey Pam!" he greeted her. "

"Hi Keith," she said, smiling back. "Do you want to hang out today?"

"Duh!" Keith answered, making Pamela smile even brighter. "Kim and Mandy are at my parents' house for today. What do you have in mind?"

"We can just stay here, if you like," Pamela responded. "I don't really feel like going out."

Keith nodded. "Neither do I. Come on in!" He led her inside and sat down on the couch with her. HIs house smelled like drugs and alcohol, but Pam wasn't complaining. That's usually what her house smelled like as well, anyways. He pulled out a cigarette and put it between his thin lips, lighting it up. He offered her one, but she quickly shook her head.

"I don't like yours," she laughed, pulling out one of her own. "They taste weird." As she placed it between her lips, Keith lit it up for her. She gave him a small smirk before taking a long drag from hers. He blew some of his smoke towards her face, making her laugh softly. 

"So, how has everything been since the last time we talked?" he asked her, taking a long drag from his own cigarette.

"You mean three days ago?" she asked him with a chuckle. She exhaled, blowing some smoke towards him. "It's been pretty much the same. Pete's obviously still pining for her and lying about it, naturally." 

"Hmm. And you still don't believe him?"

She stopped smoking for a moment, nodding her head. He gave her a sympathetic look. "He's never cared about me like he's cared for her."

Keith nodded. "Then why do you stay with him? If you don't mind me asking."

"Because I care about him." She shrugged. "And I want to believe he'll care about me like he cares about her."

He took another long drag from his cigarette, nodding again. "I think you deserve someone that cares so deeply about you."

She gave him a brief smile before putting out her cigarette. "You really think so?"

"Of course I do," he answered, reaching over to put his out, as well. At this point, his lips were dangerously close to hers. He took a deep breath in before backing away, just slightly. 

She looked at him with a small smile, her cheeks tinted pink. "Keith, do you remember when we kissed?" she asked him.

"No," he laughed softly, resting his arm around her on the couch. "Do you?"

She laughed along with him, scooting a bit closer. "Of course I do," she answered sweetly. "To tell the truth, it was one of the best kisses I've ever had."

"Really?" he blushed, smiling brightly. She nodded, smiling back at him. "I wish I could remember it."

"That's alright," she told him. Suddenly, they were both leaning in slowly. Before either of them knew it, Keith's lips were finally connected with hers. Resting a hand on his cheek, she pushed her lips closer to his. With one hand draped around her neck and the other resting on her thigh, he kissed her like his life depended on it. 

As she tilted her head to the side to deepen the kiss, her nose briskly brushed against his, making him smile against her lips. When things were getting a bit too 'soft' for his taste, he pushed her down on the couch and quickly got on top of her. She briefly brushed her tongue against his bottom lip, making him part his lips for her. He moaned as he swirled his tongue around with hers, moving a hand up and down her waist. 

The two of them quickly lost track of time, roughly kissing and touching each other. Pamela's lips were bright red from all the times that Keith bit down softly, but so were his from all the times she returned the favor. Suddenly, he pushed her down and kissed her rougher, making her heart pound as she moaned against his lips.

Pamela never in her wildest dreams thought that she would be kissing Keith like this. She never thought she would kiss him at all, actually. But as much as she hated to admit it, she was really enjoying it. Really enjoying it.


	41. Chapter 41

"So..."

"So..."

Keith and Pamela sat facing forward on the sofa with their arms crossed several hours later. There had been an awkward silence filling the air for far too long. Unfortunately, neither of them knew exactly what to say. What were they supposed to say? They both knew what happened was a mistake, but they didn't really care.

"What...exactly was that?" Pamela finally answered quietly. 

"A really intense snog?" Keith answered with a laugh. Pamela chuckled quietly and gave him a look. "Yeah...I don't really know."

"I think we both know what it was," Pamela remarked. "We just don't know...if it really meant something." 

Keith nodded, looking down at the floor. "Did it? Mean something?"

Pamela looked at the floor. She didn't want to break his heart, but she also didn't want to break Pete's heart. Pete. The love of her life. Or was he? Why did everything have to be so complicated? "No," she finally said. As the words left her lips, she couldn't figure out if it was all a lie or the truth. Guilt rushed over her as she saw the look on Keith's face.

"Oh," he said with another nod. He quickly spoke up, lying, naturally. "It didn't mean anything to me either." 

Pamela nodded as a small tear formed in her eye. "Glad we're both on the same page." She stood up, brushing her skirt. Keith stood up, straightening out his shirt. "I should get going. Pete's probably wondering where I am."

"Yeah," was all he said. Pamela turned to him and tilted her head to the side. 

"What's the matter?" she asked him, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. She straightened it out a bit; it was still a bit tousled from before.

"Nothing," he shrugged with a smile. "Now you need to get going! Pete's probably really missing you."

Pamela laughed. "Maybe, maybe not," she sighed. She pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly. "Keith?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you.."

"Yes?"

"Did you enjoy it?" she asked him hesitantly.

Keith broke the hug and gave her a smirk. "Of course I did, love," he answered. "Did you?"

Pamela nodded with a smirk. "Hell yeah."

"Would you do it again?" Keith asked her, trying to sound casual.

She smirked before grabbing his face and kissing him deeply. He kissed her back, tangling his hands in her hair. She pulled away from him, kissing his cheek. "Of course I would."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals. I get my back into my living. I don't need to fight to prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiven."

The tour wasn't going so well. They seemed to be getting into arguments about everything imaginable. There was also still the drug and alcohol use, as well as the fist fights. The band was breaking up, they just knew it. It didn't seem possible that they could stay together.

"Don't cry. Don't raise your eye. It's only teenage wasteland," Pete sang into the microphone. Pete was still stressed beyond belief and heartbroken. The tour was only adding to it; making his anxieties fly through the roof. He used to have a real purpose for writing and performing. Now, he felt as though he lacked drive. And the reason why was obvious. 

"Sally take my hand. We'll travel south cross land. Put out the fire and don't look past my shoulder. The exodus is here, the happy ones are near. Let's get together, before we get much older," Roger sang, swinging his microphone around. 

Soon after the song was over, the exhausted musicians packed up their belongings. Trying in vain to avoid the crazed fans, they walked out the exit and made their way to the car. Once they were safely inside, they passed around drinks and sighed deeply, leaning back against their seats.

"Great show, guys," Roger said, trying to keep up the positive energy. 

Pete snorted bitterly. "That wasn't fucking worth filming, was it?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink. 

Almost everyone rolled their eyes. "It wasn't bad," John remarked. "The audience seemed to enjoy it, so that's all that really matters." Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement, taking long swigs from their bottles.

"I have an idea," Keith said, his eyes lighting up. "Why don't we go back to the hotel, chop up some furniture and throw it out the window? That's sure to lift our spirits!"

"Count me out," Pete said without hesitation. Keith groaned and everyone in the car gave him a confused look. "What? I'm not in the mood."

"Fine," Keith sighed.

"I'm in," John chipped in. Keith gave him a bright, childish smile. 

"You're always in," Roger sighed. 

"And?" John asked.

"Never mind," Roger said. 

They rode the rest of the way to the hotel in silence. No one really wanted to start another fight, so they thought the best way of preventing one was to just keep their mouths shut. However, Keith was singing something quietly and out of tune, making everyone in the car clench their teeth. 

Finally, they made it to the hotel and no one had to suffer through Keith's singing anymore. The musicians quickly grabbed their instruments and took them inside. The ride through the elevator was quiet; Pete leaned against the wall and tried not to fall asleep. 

"Are you sure you don't want to?" John asked him. "It might be fun."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Pete sighed. "I'm not feeling so well; I need some rest."

"Alright," John said. 

The heavy elevator doors parted, and everyone said their goodbyes before parting different ways. Pete pulled the key to his own room out of his pocket and unlocked his door. He stepped inside, almost dropping his case at what he saw.

Tears started to form in his eyes. "Cheryl?" he asked in disbelief.

She smiled brightly, standing up from the bed. Her hair was much longer, and she looked much older. More mature than the girl Pete knew back then. But still beautiful, nonetheless. "Hi Pete," she greeted him quietly.

He quickly dropped his case, rubbing his eyes. "Good God, I must be shit-faced," he said, making her laugh. "I haven't seen you in...what, three years? I haven't even had much today."

"You're not on drugs, Pete," she reassured him, stepping towards him. "I'm here."

He looked at her in disbelief, unable to stop smiling. "How the bloody hell did you find me?" he asked her with a laugh. 

"I have my ways, Townshend," she answered. She looked at him up and down. "You look different."

"Really? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A good thing," she answered quickly. "A really, really good thing. You look...a lot more grown up. But still handsome as ever."

Pete nodded with a small blush. "Thanks, Cheryl," he told her. "You look...pretty much the same. Except for the hair, you know."

She laughed softly. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked him. 

"A really good thing," he answered. "You're so beautiful, Cheryl."

"Thank you, Pete," she said sweetly. Then, she stepped closer to him, hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her softly but passionately. She briefly pulled away. "God, I've missed this."

"So have I," he whispered before kissing her again. He sat with her on the bed, kissing her with more passion this time. Neither of them pulled away for a while; it had been too long for the both of them. Pete held her carefully, running a hand up and down her thigh. She played with a few strands of his now longer hair. 

They pulled away and looked at each other in the eyes. "I love you, Cheryl," Pete said. "I've never stopped loving you."

"I've never stopped loving you, either," Cheryl told him as she connected her forehead with his. Tears began to form in her dark brown eyes. "You're all I think about."

"I've missed you so fucking much," he said, nuzzling his face in her neck. "Why did you leave me?"

She lay down on the bed with him, holding him close. "I was heartbroken," she answered. "I didn't want to face the truth anymore."

"And now?" he asked her.

"I still don't want to," she answered. "Are you still with Pamela?"

Pete nodded, pulling away to look her in the eyes. "Yes. But I don't think that's going to last for long."

"I'm so sorry, dear. Why do you feel that way?" Pamela asked him sadly.

"I'm in love with someone else," he answered simply. She gave him a brief smile. "I can't keep living a fucking lie, Cheryl. I want to be with you. No one else."

"I want to be with you more than anything in the whole world. But Pamela-"

"What about her?"

She looked down. "After all this time, I still don't want to hurt her."

"She'll be fine," Pete told her, making her laugh again. He held onto her tighter. 

"Can we wait just a little bit longer?" she asked him. 

He groaned. "Why?"

"Well, I feel like we've both changed a lot. Maybe we should get to know each other again before rushing into anything. Then there's Pam. I know you say she's going to be alright, but I still know her pretty well. She's going to be crushed."

As much as he hated to admit it, Cheryl was right. "Alright. We'll wait."

"Thank you." She smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him again. He held her closer, kissing her sweetly. "When do you go back to England?"

"January," he answered with a sigh. "But then I'm going to India. Alone."

"India?" she asked him with a smile. "That sounds like fun."

"It will be," he said. They stayed quiet for a moment as he played with some of her hair. "I have an idea..come with me."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes! Dead serious," he answered.

Her smile quickly faded as memories from three years past came to her mind. "I don't know if that's such a good idea," she sighed.

"Why not?"

"Remember the last time we went on a trip together while you were still married?"

"Yes, that was three years ago," Pete answered. "We had fun, didn't we?"

"Of course we did. And then we had to go home, and everything went to shit from there." 

"That doesn't have to happen this time," Pete told her.

"How can we be so sure of that?" 

Pete shrugged. "We'll think of something. What do you say? Will you come with me?"

Pamela thought for a while before answering. As much as she wanted to run away with the man she loved again, she knew there would be consequences. One way or another, something was bound to go wrong. But what the hell? Life was all about taking risks. "Sure," she answered.

Pete smiled brightly, kissing her again deeply. Just then, there was a loud knock at the door. "PETE!" a voice shrieked.

"Just stay right here, I'll take care of it," he said to her, walking towards the door. He opened it a tiny crack so no one could enter. He saw Keith, John and Roger standing there, looking ashamed. "What the fuck have you done now, you dumbasses?"

"We have to leave as soon as possible," Roger answered. "Get your stuff."

"Oh my..Fine. Just leave me alone. I'll be out soon." He shut the door before any of them could protest. "Cheryl?"

"Yes?"

"I have to go. Those dumbasses got us kicked out of the hotel again," he said with a sigh.

"Oh." She stood up, brushing off her dress. "Well, it was really good to see you."

"It was really good to see you too." He smiled brightly at her, holding both of her hands. "You've made me so happy."

"You always make me so happy," she told him. "I'll see you in January. India."

"See you then." He smiled at her again, giving her one last passionate kiss on the lips. Before she could get too carried away again, she pulled away. "I love you."

"I love you too."


	42. Chapter 42

"Pete and I are done." Pamela was at John's house after she heard what happened. Pete took Cheryl to India with him instead of her. Pamela told him if she didn't come straight home she would leave him, and he told her that's fine with him, since he had no intention of leaving. 

"I'm sorry about that-" 

"Don't be," Pamela interrupted. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. No reason to be upset. I'm not. I'm relieved actually." 

John just nodded. "So what'll you do now?" 

"Move away, I guess," she chuckled. "I don't really see me having a life here anymore." 

John furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" 

Her eyes filled up with tears and she bit her lip. "I'm so lonely. I never thought I'd spend the rest of my life alone, but here we are." 

"Pamela, you're not alone! You have me and Rog, and Keith-" 

"Keith's married," Pamela interrupted again. 

"Not anymore." 

Pamela's eyes widened. "What?" 

"They're getting a divorce. Keith's not good for Kim, everyone knows that." 

Pamela had always had mixed feelings about Kim. Mainly because she knew that she hated her guts, but that's beside the point. "Are you serious?" 

"Yeah," John nodded. 

"That doesn't matter, though," Pamela groaned, a single tear falling down her cheek. "If I leave, Keith won't care. All I was to him was a good snog." 

John rolled his eyes. "Pam, are you serous?!" he asked in disbelief. 

Pamela furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What--" 

"No offense, but for someone who is really smart, you are really dumb. Keith is in love with you!" John blurted out. 

Pamela's jaw dropped. "No, he can't be-" 

"He is! He's been in love with you since you first met! He told me! And I've had to keep that secret, watching you be obvlious as hell for all these years! I can't do it anymore." 

At that moment, Pamela realized something she never knew until now. 

She loved Keith. 

"Thanks John!" She laughed before running out of his house, down the street until she reached Keith's house. She desperately knocked on the door, pacing back and forth while waiting for an answer. Keith opened the door, laughing as he saw her panting. "You love me?" 

"What?" his cheeks turned red and he furrowed his eyebrows. His eyes widened. "Oh god- John told you didn't he?" Pam nodded. "I'm gonna kill him-" 

Pamela cut him off by grabbing him by the shoulders and kissing him passionately. He quickly kissed her back, threading his hands through her hair. He led her to the couch inside, laying her down and crawling on top of her. He pulled away and looked deep in her eyes. 

"I've wanted to do this for so long, you have no idea-" 

"Me too." 

It was unlike anything Pamela had ever experienced before. Pete was always so gentle with her, as if she was precious and breakable. But Keith wasn't afraid to take control. She felt as if she had lost her virginity all over again. Pamela wouldn't have been surprised if her moans could have been heard by the whole neighborhood. But she didn't care. 

Eventually, Keith rolled off of her, laying next to her and holding her close. She wrapped an arm around him, resting her hand on his cheek. "I love you, Keith." 

"Marry me." 

Pamela's eyes widened. "I'm not divorced yet! And you JUST got divorced!" she laughed. "It's a bit fast, don't you think?" 

Keith just smirked. "I thought you liked moving fast." 

"Oh shut up." She leaned in and kissed him hard, making him moan softly against her lips. 

"So is that a yes?" Keith chuckled. 

"Yes." Pamela smiled before pressing another kiss against his lips and falling asleep in his arms. 

\--

India 

The sunset was perfect that night. Pete and Cheryl sat on the sand, hand in hand as she rested her head on his shoulder. He pressed a kiss against the top of her head, making her smile. 

"I love you so much," Cheryl told him. 

"I love you too," Pete told her. For the first time in forever, he actually meant it when he said those words. He sighed quietly. "Me and Pamela are done." 

Cheryl furrowed her eyebrows. "What?" 

"It's true " 

"What happened?" 

"Lots of things happened. While I was with her, I just happened to meet the love of my life. But it wasn't her " 

Cheryl couldn't help but feel guilty. "I'm honored, Pete. But I feel so guilty-" 

"You don't have to. Trust me," he reassured her, holding her hand. "It was my fault for ever marrying her in the first place." 

"You have a point," Cheryl chuckled. "So...when are you two...you know..?" 

"As soon as we get back to England. For now, let's just relax and enjoy each other's company." 

Cheryl smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Sounds great to me." She gently pecked his lips. "I love you more than anything." 

"I love you so much, Cheryl," Pete said, his voice cracking. "Cheryl?" 

"Yes, Pete?" 

"Will you marry me?" 

Cheryl nodded without hesitation, tears forming in her eyes. "Yes!" She hugged him tightly, cradling his head. "A thousand times, yes!" 

Pete quickly kissed her lips before pulling away, pulling a golden ring out of his pocket. He slid it on her finger, admiring how it looked. 

"When did you get that?" 

"It was one of the rings Pam had when we got married," Pete answered. "I've always saved it, just in case." 

"Just in case of what?" 

"Just in case you said yes." 

Cheryl laughed, tears falling down her cheeks. She hugged him tighter than ever. "You're wonderful, Pete Townshend." 

"Not as wonderful as you, Cheryl. Townshend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay who's your favorite couple, just curious? Mine's Pete and Cheryl, just because they're so loving and sweet.


	43. Chapter 43

-September 1978- 

She was broken. Absolutely heartbroken. Her heart aching with sadness beyond belief, her head filling with regret. Feeling that she wasn't good enough for him, since it took her too long to realize her feelings for him. Wishing that she did more to help him recover. Wishing he was there by her side to comfort her. Above all else, wondering when her time was going to come to reunite with him. 

The funeral was perfect. Everyone he truly cared about was there. Music was played and eulogies were given, but Pamela couldn't focus. She was too distracted by the questions filling trough her head. Why didn't she stop him? Why didn't she help him? It's her fault he's gone, isn't it? Once again, her selfish behavior was her downfall. 

"We'll now hear some words from his lovely wife, Pamela." 

Her heart froze and the air grew cold. She stood up, making her way to the podium. As she stared out into the crowd, the true reality of the situation hit her. Both her breath and her hands grew shaky. She held back sobs as she spoke. 

"I-I'll never forget s-something Keith told me a few months before he p-passed. H-he said it didn't matter where he w-was or what I did, he'd always love and watch over me...n-no matter what." She covered her eyes with her hand, letting out a shaky sob. She weeped loudly into the microphone, tears falling down her cheeks. "I- I'm sorry-" 

When she looked up, seeing everyone in the audience's sympathetic looks, she sobbed even harder. Then she ran. She ran down the aisle and out the door, falling down on the grass. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing louder and harder than she ever had in her life. 

"God, why did it have to be me?" she asked bitterly, her hands shaking from the chilly London air. Her throat felt as if it was swelling up. "Why couldn't it have been someone stronger?" 

She lay on the grass, hugging her knees to her chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. Never in her life did she feel more alone than she did that day. She barely even heard the door swing open and two sets of footsteps. She saw two figures kneel on the ground next to her. 

Uncovering her eyes, she saw Cheryl and Pete. Pete was unimaginably hurt and Cheryl's heart ached for her husband and her old friend. Pamela didn't think it was possible that anyone could've been more hurt by his death than her. 

"W-what are you guys doing here?" she sniffed, wiping a few tears away. 

"Keith was our friend, too," Pete said. 

"No, I mean..why did you come after me?" Pamela asked. She always thought for sure that Pete hated her before and after the divorce. And she was certain that Cheryl hated her for not treating him right while she still had him. But she was wrong. 

"You're my friend, Pam," Cheryl said, tears soon forming in her eyes. "I hate seeing you so upset." 

"We may not be together anymore, but you still mean a lot to me," Pete told her. 

Pamela gave them a broken smile, sitting up and hugging them both tightly. They hugged her back even tighter, pulling her closer to them. She sobbed on both of their shoulders while Cheryl stroked her hair and Pete rubbed her back. They were both crying quietly, a lot calmer than she was. But that didn't stop them from being devastated. 

"It's all my fault!" she wept. "I could've stopped him. I could've told him no drugs, no drinks. But I wanted them just as bad as he did. It's all my fault, I'm so stupid and so selfish!" Her while body shook with sobs. 

"Pam, don't say that," Pete told her. "You had no idea this could've happened to him. No one saw this coming until it was too late." 

"You're not selfish," Cheryl told her. "You cared so much for him. You were meant for him. You made his life better." 

"If Keith could've been here, he would be telling you all about what you did for him," Pete said truthfully. 

Pamela sniffed and wiped some more tears away. She stopped shaking and her breathing became calmer. Did she really mean that much to someone she cared so deeply for? She nodded, smiling briefly. "Thank you." 

"Of course." They both hugged her tightly again and Cheryl kissed her cheek. "Are you ready to go back in?" 

"Yeah, I think so," Pamela answered. She frowned, feeling guilty. "But I can't talk about him in front of all those people. It hurts too much. I'm so sorry." 

Cheryl nodded. "It's alright. You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with." 

"All that matters is you're here for him one last time," Pete remarked. 

They helped her stand up and walked back inside with her. For the rest of the service they sat on either side of her, their arms wrapped around her. When it was finally over, Pete and Cheryl sat with her for a while until most of the people who attended left. Until it was time for them to leave. 

Cheryl hugged Pamela tightly. "Call us if you need us," she told her. 

"Thanks," Pamela quickly smiled. She hugged Pete tighter than she ever did when they were together. "Thank you too, Pete." 

Pete hugged her back tightly. "Thanks for being so good to him." 

Before they could leave, Pamela stopped them. "I love you both. I'm sorry I never did a great job of showing it." 

They both smiled tearfully at her. "Love you too, Pam." And then they were off. 

Pamela fell into the chair nearest to her and slowly began to sob again. The world seemed to fade away and those same questions filled her head again. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see John. 

"Hey," she said, wiping her tears. 

"Hey Pam," he said, sitting next to her. "I'm really sorry. I don't know what to say." 

She nodded and sniffed. "It's alright. Thank you for being here. I just feel so..so.." 

"Broken? Me too." 

She nodded again, giving John a broken smile. "Keith was so lucky to have you as a best friend." 

John briefly smiled back. "He was even luckier to have you in his life." She smiled tearfully, pulling him into a tight hug. When she pulled away, he took a deep breath. "You know, he used to talk to me about you all the time."

"Really? What did he say?" 

"He was always telling me about how beautiful you are. How sweet and perfect you are. How perfectly out of reach you are. How he can talk to you about anything and not feel so judged. Most of all, he always told me about how you really understood him. And how no one else really understood him except for me. Pam, I think you were the best person he could've had in his life." 

Pamela's eyes were filled with tears. "Thank you, John. I really needed to hear that." She pulled him into another hug, holding him tightly. He rubbed her back comfortingly before pulling away. 

"I need to go. Do you need anything? A ride home or some dinner?" 

Pamela shook her head. "No. Thank you." 

"Alright, if you're sure. Bye, Pam." 

And then John exited the church, leaving Pamela alone. Suddenly, she didn't feel so alone anymore. A huge wave of relief came over her as she replayed her friends' comforting words in her head. She truly meant something to someone. 

Suddenly, she had a feeling that everything was going to be alright. Eventually. Even if she didn't have her best friend, her ally, her only love, she still had her friends who cared about her. But one thing was for sure: Keith's memory would never leave her. 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god its over 😭😅  
> Thanks for reading<3


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